Lost Years
by aliasmel1
Summary: When Hermione Granger stumbles into a portrait and emerges seven years later, without aging day and having only lost five minutes of her time, a frail Severus Snape is the only one-man welcoming party there to greet her when she emerges. With her friends married, and now seven years her senior, it's up to Severus Snape to brew her an aging potion but that's easier said than done.
1. Chapter 1

"Honestly, you two are impossible," Hermione sighed angrily as she tried in vain to boost her over-full book bag higher on her shoulder as she lagged behind the two boys. Neither offering to carry the over-weight schoolbag for her when both could see she was struggling as it weighed down her lithe frame when both far exceeded her in strength, height and muscle.

"Hurry up 'Mione," Ron screeched back at her, his fiery red hair getting further in the distance with ever large, lanky step he took.

"Thanks for the help," She grumbled angrily under her breath, leaning coolly against one of the portraits. Her stomach dropped to her toes when she felt a lurch backward, teetering precariously on her feet, arms whirling around at her sides trying to keep her upright but the weight of the book bag dragged her back, landing on her backside with a deep thud.

"What the." She blinked rapidly, rising to her feet with trepidation, rubbing a hand over her now sore, and probably bruised butt.

She struggled to drag the bag back up on her shoulder, sagging under the immense weight as she did so.

"Hermione, hurry up, where are-" Harry called to Hermione, coming to a skidded halt in front of her, his best friend was right before him, standing in the portrait in which she had leaned against.

"Hermione?" Harry asked softly, blinking rapidly, almost like he couldn't believe the scene before him.

"I'm right here, why do you look like you just saw Voldemort saunter past?" Flicking her mass of Auburn, sun-kissed curls over her shoulder.

"Hermione, you, you're in the portrait," Harry's voice caught in his dry throat, running a hand shakily through his Raven hair, the color in his face drained till he was a white as a sheet, just as Ron came skidding along behind him.

"Hermione!" Ron screeched, the freckles on his face intensifying as the color drained from his cheeks as well.

"Relax, I'm sure this has happened before," Hermione said casually as she dropped her bag on the ground with a resonating thud and stepped out of the portrait casually. "See!" She said matter of factly, giving both the boys an I told you so look.

Ron raised a brow in question as he pressed a palm to the portrait and to his dismay, he didn't force his way through. Harry did the same, and again, nothing happened.

"Why are you so special?" Ron protested with the petulance of a child.

"Has this portrait always been here?" Harry asked wearily, casting a dark glance towards it.

"Honestly, Harry, I don't know. I'm not the portrait keeper of the castle." She sniffed indignantly at him, stepping back in the portrait to collect her bag. She bent down and frozen.

The cogs of her mind began to tick slowly at first and then at full speed. A long, dark corridor beckoned to her, called her like a sweet siren song. She looked back at the boys and raised her self back up to full height.

"Hermione, no!" Harry protested with every fiber of his being, knowing exactly what the girl was going to do, but she didn't even give them a second thought or a backward glance, the urge to walk down the incredibly dark and narrow corridor called, beckoned, screamed to her.

Her soft footfalls reverberated off of the stone floor below and off of the walls of, each tentative step she took, the protests of her friends grew fainter.

Step after tentative step.

Silence.

Darkness.

 **A/N: Like I need to start another story… This has been trying to claw its way out of my brain for weeks, and if I didn't start it, my brain would just implode with all the plot bunnies that were breeding there.**

 **Before you invest too much time in this, it will be an ss/hg fanfiction.**

 **-Aliasmel1**


	2. Chapter 2

"Professor Snape," Harry panted, breathless. His glasses askew, raven hair tousled and messed up more so than usual as he bounded up like a neurotic dog to Severus who was mid-stride on his way to the dungeons. Harry didn't care what professor he found, he was just out to grab the first one he could find, and unfortunately, it was Snape.

Severus stopped in his tracks and visibly cringed. His eyes rolled so far back when he heard the voice of Potter that he was sure he almost saw his own brain. He contemplated ignoring him and continuing on his merry way, oblivious to whatever it was that Potter wanted, but there was something in his voice, urgency tangled with desperation so he stopped and slowly turned around.

Harry was puffing, keeled over trying to get his breath back. "Please, professor, come with me, it's Hermione," He rasped between sucking in much-needed breaths of air that his body demanded.

"What? She lost a book, or she is inconsolable because I gave her a less than a desirable grade on her homework? Which by the way was totally warranted because she just mindlessly regurgitates whatever she has read on any subject and puts it into a few fancy, reorganized sentences and tries to pass them off as, as she masquerades as the 'bright' witch we have seen in a very long time." He folded his arms tightly across his chest and pinned Harry under a hard stare.

"N..no," Harry stammered, tilting his head slowly to the side, trying to work out what Snape had just said to him. "Please, Professor, just follow me."

Harry dashed off, leaving Severus to contemplate for a moment between doing what was right, which would be following Harry, or what was easy… Going on with his day and pretending that he had never had the encounter.

He ran a pale white hand through his hair, white flesh tangling with inky black hair as he sighed haughtily. Fuck having a conscience, he thought venomously to himself as he strode after the boy. There was literally nothing that could have happened to Hermione Granger that would sway his views of the little know-it-all bitch who he despised just so.

He followed Harry at a brisk walk with ease, taking one stride to Harry's ever two before Harry came to a screeching halt in front of a pitch black portrait and he was sure he had never actually need that here before and he eyed it incredulously.

Weasley was positively beside himself pacing backward and forwards like a lion confined to a cage, only stopping when Severus loomed menacingly over him.

"To what do I owe the displeasure of having my day ruined by you two dunderheads?" He drawled smoothly, eyeing them savagely, a small disgusted glint lingering in the depths of his black orbs.  
"Hermione went in there!" Ron exclaimed, pointing his finger harshly at the portrait that was clearly devoid of life and Severus only raised a brow in both pity and question.

"It's true!" Harry interjected as he could tell by the look on Snape's face, he didn't believe him with even an inch of his being.

"So you're telling me that Hermione Granger wandered into this portrait right here and hasn't emerged again? That's crazy even for you two," He said in a bored tone as eyes rolled back, punctuating the fact that he didn't care, nor did he believe them.

"It's true! Ron protested, slamming a leather-clad foot hard against the cobblestone floor, the sound waves reverberated off of the walls harshly.

"You expect me to believe that Hermione Granger, the girl with sharp wit and commonsense just vanished into this here painting and sauntered away?"

"Yes!" Harry and Ron screamed in unison, throwing their hands up animatedly.

He snorted and looked down at them harshly. "I have not the time to deal with your shenanigans, Potter, get to class now before I dock points from Gryffindor."

"I'm going to Dumbledore," Harry hissed at Snape, as Snape stepped in his way to block his exit, Harry tried his hardest to push past but couldn't.

"What seems to be the problem?" Dumbledore's soft but stern voice but through Severus like a knife as he stepped away from Harry, Filch ambling along by his side.

Filch looked down at the two boys with disgust in his eyes, his long, grey unkempt hair hung sadly to his shoulders, yellow teeth bared at them menacingly.

Harry quickly and very animatedly re-told the story to Dumbledore whose face fell as he looked at the portrait. No, this had never, ever been here before.

"That portrait ain't ever been 'ere before," Filches voice rasped angrily. "Which one of you two put it 'ere," he snapped, pointing a finger first at Harry and then at Ron.

"We didn't put anything here! How would two sixth years get this giant portrait into the castle by ourselves? Much less one that would open up for our best friend to just saunter on in," Harry snapped out of turn at Filch who visibly recoiled, not knowing what to do or say.

"Please, Harry, reiterate the story to me so I know exactly what happened." Dumbledore looked down at Harry over his half-moon spectacles. If he was worried, it wasn't evident on his face.

"We are walking to class when Hermione fell behind. We went back for her when we saw her in the portrait. She stepped back out and then back in. It wouldn't allow us in. Then she walked off out of sight into the darkness," Harry spoke so quickly, it was almost incoherent.

"I see," Dumbledore muttered with feigned interest as he ran a long white finger over the black canvas before placing an open palm on it.

"Can we get her back?" Ron asked concern etched in his tone.

"I will need some time to study the portrait and I can't promise anything." He cast the two boys a solemn look that gnawed at their psyche and chewed at their hearts.

-o-o-o-o-

Hermione squinted into the inky black darkness, the one-two of her footfalls echoed heavily off of the stonewalls, she was walking through. Fingering her wand in her robes she pulled it out and lit the tip. The icy-blue light lit up the long, narrow corridor made of stone. A wave of dread washed over her with every lingering step she took. Something still called to her, beckoned her to it. Part of her wanted to know what it was and the other half wanted to turn and run. Being the quintessential Gryffindor she was, as the little brave lioness within awoke and she continued on.

 **A/N: I am blown away with the reviews and favorites after just the first chapter. Now, would you all rather longer chapters and fewer updates, or shorter chapters and more frequent updates?**

 **-Aliasmel1**


	3. Chapter 3

"What have you done?" Severus snarled with the ferocity of a wounded lion as he slammed Draco Malfoy so hard into the stone wall behind him, he heard his breath leave his lungs.

"What the fuck?" Draco snapped, breathless, fighting against his godfather in a bid for his freedom, he had never, ever seen him this angry, well not towards himself anyway.

"The portrait, the new one that just took fucking Hermione Granger captive. What do you know about it, it has to be you. You are the only one that has ways and means of getting things in and out of the castle undetected." His grip loosened somewhat on the boy who looked as if Severus has just murdered his entire family and asked for their fortune.

"What do you mean?" Draco pleaded ignorance, it was the best way.

"Don't pull your stupid little games with me, Draco. The vanishing cabinet you have been working on, a magical portrait that just mysteriously showed up and took Hermione Granger."

"We are literally in a school full of magic and wonderment, anything could have happened and that portrait could have come from anywhere." Draco shrugged cockily as he was pummeled into the stone wall once again behind him with force.

"Fine!" He held up his hands defensively as if pleading for his godfather to not assault him again.

"I was ordered to bring it in."

"By our Lord?" His voice a hushed whisper as he looked left and right for seeing eyes that shouldn't be around.

Draco's blonde hair wave to and fro as he shook his head no rapidly. "Aunty Bella."

"I should have fucking known that wretch was behind something like this." He dropped Draco and carded a shaky hand through his inky black hair roughly.

"She made me bring it in. She told me it would help. Said Granger needed to be dealt with swiftly but didn't want her murdered just yet, you know how it is."

"So instead, you bring a giant portrait into the school and just know the exact perfect place to place it? That seems a little farfetched especially for you."

Draco smoothed his robes and brushed them over almost rolling his eyes at his Godfather. "Honestly, you have no faith in me," he harrumphed loudly.

"I have faith in no one honestly, don't flatter yourself," Severus interjected, bearing his teeth angrily.

"Just how do you plan on getting Granger out?" Severus asked with a single raise of a brow and Draco paled considerably. He was never told that part of the plan.

"You have no idea how it works, do you?"

"Not the foggiest idea honestly. I was just sent here to put the plan into motion, I wasn't told useless details. For all I know, she probably won't even come back. Aunty Bella said she is much too meddlesome, especially for a filthy Mud Blood bitch and she needed to be contained and dealt with swiftly."

"Of course, she said that," he retorted dryly and irately. He couldn't exactly head over the Bellatrix and ask her to set Hermione Granger free and he couldn't go to the Dark Lord because for all Severus knew, he probably didn't even know about this plan.

He knew Bellatrix was evil, brilliantly evil and so very smart and he wouldn't even know the first place to look to break the curse placed upon the portrait. He couldn't tell Dumbledore what had happened, because it would ultimately blow Draco Malfoy's cover and he had made an unbreakable vow and didn't want to jeopardize that right now.

"Don't dig yourself any deeper into this hole, Draco. Don't go near the portrait, don't go gloating about anything, because I know that attribute runs rife through the Malfoy line and keep to yourself. I will once again have to work out a way to fix this mess you have created. Now go."

Draco didn't have to be told twice, he sprinted as fast as his long, nimble legs could carry him, leaving Severus once again having to clean up the shit stain Draco Malfoy had left behind and if he were honest, he was really, really sick of this shit.

o-o-o-o-o

Hermione entered a large circular room at the end of the tunnel, the door slammed shut hard behind her, as she turned and tried to escape but it was futile. Torches lining the walls ignited within seconds, throwing harsh shadows around the walls. A single book sat in the middle of the room on a stone podium, flipping open the first page by itself she walked over to it. Chest heaving up and down in a panic, she was alone and had no means of escape, she felt something was off, really, really off. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was dark magic within this room and she didn't like it.

With trepidation she peered at the first page of the old leather book before her, peering at the page words quickly formed before her eyes.

Dumbledore is dead. Severus Snape Killed Dumbledore. Her heart began to beat harder against her chest and palms sweated so much she lost the grip on her wand. What kind of book was this?

She moved quickly from the book to the door, trying with all her might to open it, throwing her lithe frame at the door, it didn't budge. She tried a barrage of spells, but none of them come to fruition. Whoever lured her here, whoever wanted her in this room didn't want her to be aided by her own magic.

She gulped hard and went back to the book. This time the pages flew open again and this time she saw Severus Snape had been appointed headmaster. She saw the school was being run with an iron fist under the power of the Dark Lord, pictures and words instantly appearing on the pages before her with vigour making her head spin. What kind of book was this?

The pages moved again on their own accord, this time announcing Bill and Fleurs wedding, she watched the pictures as people ran in terror from the wedding as it was attacked by Death Eaters.

She pocketed her wand and wiped her soaking pals on her robes. Her mouth dry and her head spinning. Who would create such a terrible book full of every single snippet of bad news that could possibly happen? Who was behind this and why was this happening only to her? She growled low in her throat, angry and sad at images and news she was reading.

She took in a long, steady breath, this was only a book. It wasn't real. Just fiction, she continued to reiterate in her head over and over again to calm herself down.

 **A/N: Just a small chapter to sate your hunger. I know, I know I've been slack and haven't updated for a while. Please take this chapter as a peace offering and a promise that I will update again sooner rather than later.**


	4. Chapter 4

Ron and Harry stood solemnly by the portrait that had claimed their friend seven years ago. Seven years ago, they lost their best friend, their confidant, their rock in hard times. They had come to realise not long after she went missing, she was the glue that held them together. She was the brains of the operation and they struggled without her. They often came back to the portrait, just to see, hope and pray to whatever deity they could to bring their friend back. They often found themselves sitting for hours staring into the black abyss of the portrait just waiting. Hoping. Praying. Wishing.

People often said if you stared at the portrait long enough you would see a glimmer of light from the tip of her wand or the silhouette of Hermione. Others said if you stood in front of the portrait and chanted her name three times, she would haunt you in your dreams. Of course, there were often young students standing sheepishly by the portrait chanting her name to see what would happen… Nothing ever came from it.  
Harry and Ron would chase them away and tell them to sod off if they caught them while they were there.

The truth was, no one knew where she was or where she went. Not even the most advanced curse-breakers at the ministry could help. They would just shake their head and walk away solemnly. This was nothing they had been subject to before and nothing they knew how to handle.

So much had changed since Hermione had wandered into the portrait. They had defeated Voldemort, Harry and Ron had both joined the Chudley Cannons and were both doing well in their respective positions. Both had married, Harry to Ginny and Ron to Lavender, much to his mother absolute disgust. They had lost Fred and then a few years later George as well. Harry always maintained it was of a broken heart despite what the medi-wizards had said.

And now they stood before the portrait like they did whenever they got the chance, just waiting and wishing. It used to be a weekly occurrence but that waned as life and work got in the way, but they never forgot Hermione and they would never get over the way she disappeared.

"Well," Harry sighed sadly, slapping Ron hard on the shoulder as they both stared stone-faced into the portrait. It had almost become their friend in a sense with the amount of time they had spent with it. They knew every intricate detail of it, the curve of the frame, the hue of the wood, right down to the intricate carvings.

"Well," Ron mimicked back, blinking back tears as he stared into the darkness of the portrait, angry and sad that again, nothing had changed since the last time he was here.

"Let's say we go, yeah?" Harry muttered, a lump in his throat as he blinked back the tears his green eyes were threatening to spill from behind his glasses.

"Yeah. Lets." Ron nodded. The love they both felt for Hermione was still so raw and still so plentiful in their hearts like a day had not passed by without her. They loved her the same now as they did when she first vanished.

o-o-o-o-o

In what universe would the dour old dungeon bat be appointed headmaster, she thought to herself as the book flicked its pages effortlessly. Well okay, he wasn't _that_ old, but in comparison to her, he really was. No one would allow someone of such an unsound temperament to oversee an entire school of young, impressionable children. She snorted, tossing her wild mane of auburn curls over her shoulder, they cascaded down her back like a chocolate waterfall.

Hermione forced a shaky breath through her nose as she continued to watch the pages once again slowly flicker and dance, catching glimpses of certain snippets putting her on edge, her head was spinning from the dizzying highs and the heart-stopping lows she was reading.

Voldemort had taken hold of the ministry? As if that would ever happen, she rolled her eyes sharply before the book stopped and she gasped, a hand coming to cover her mouth to stop herself from vomiting. A list of fatalities from the war. Fred Weasley caught her eye first followed by Lupin and Tonks. No, no, no this wasn't true.

A tight metal band felt as if it were weaving around Hermione's whole body and constricting her chest. The more she breathed out, the tighter the band became. She hated having panic attacks like this.

She tried in vain to calm herself continuing to chant repeatedly in her head that this wasn't real. This wasn't at all real. This was a figment of her imagination. She would wake up in her bed at any moment and all would be good with the world and besides when had a book she ever read of late lied to her? Books didn't lie or upset her like this. This is why she would rather books over people if she were being honest.

Shakily she ran a slender white hand through her chestnut mane and sunk low to the ground trying to process what was happening here. This was all a dream and if it wasn't a dream it was probably a joke. Probably something stupid Draco Malfoy had set up as a ruse to get her in here so he could corner Harry and Ron and she wouldn't be around to save them. Everyone knew how intimidated and scared Draco was of Hermione and everyone also knew how jealous he was of Harry and how much Ron was frowned upon for being a blood traitor. Draco would give anything to be able to get to the two of them to show off in front of his cronies, so he could then run off and gloat to the Dark Lord that he had a shot at Harry Potter. At the brink of almost hyperventilating and tears pricking her eyes, a large lump in her throat made it hard for her to swallow, breathe or even think, the door that had slammed shut behind her opened slowly, much too heavy for its hinges it creaked with every centimetre it moved forward.

Hermione watched it as it opened agonisingly slow as if it were taunting her, tempting her, beckoning her. She waited, watched. Nothing happened, it just sat idly open and she didn't have to be told twice.

Hermione grabbed her over-sized bag laden with all of her books and sprinted as fast as she could, practically falling out of the portrait into the inky darkness of the castle, landing hard on her knees with a thud, panting, she looked around slowly, confused. It was literally just mid-day when she had stepped through the portrait merely minutes ago. The soft footsteps of someone in the distance grew closer and closer, the glow of their illuminated wand bouncing off the cold cobblestones of the castle before they came into view.

Severus Snape rounded the corner slowly and stiffly, a scowl firmly on his face in the soft blue light of his own wand. Long black hair curtaining his stoic face. Eyebrows snapped together in disgust at a student out of bed, shining his wand right upon them to get a better look at the perpetrator.

"Please tell me, Miss Granger, why are you out of bed at this hour?" He sneered hard down at her, still on the ground, almost baring his teeth pathetically. It hadn't processed in his brain just yet who was actually on the floor.

She tried to get a story straight, her mind stumbling, unable to get a clear train of thought her mouth just gaped open and closed for a second before his dark inky orbs grew wide with shock and he stood stock-fast to the spot.

"He…Hermione Granger?" He asked as if he had just seen a ghost and the magnitude of the situation was just coming to light. This couldn't be. She had been gone for seven long, tiring years, people didn't just show up out of the blue like this. At least not from within a portrait after neither hide nor hair of them had been seen prior. Even the Aurors and the curse-breakers had said this was a hopeless case she would never, ever come back. The magic that Bellatrix had cast upon the portrait was nothing anyone had ever seen before. The crafty bitch.

Shuffling closer to her, wand held high, Hermione wondered what had happened to him since she last saw him earlier at breakfast. He usually strode with purpose, almost glided along the ground with little effort, commanding presences as he went, and here he was struggling, stiff, dragging his feet as if he was physically unable to move with the air and grace that she had come to know from him.

He extended a bony hand towards her in a gesture to help her up. She looked up at him, quirking a brow…Why was he being so… well… nicer than she knew him to be.

She eyed his hand suspiciously for a moment before accepting it begrudging and he pulled her to her feet with relative ease.  
As he stood mere feet from her she could see the lines in his face were harsher, eyes tired and sunken and sadder than usual, a stray smattering of silver hairs tangled in the long onyx tresses that she was so accustomed to. What the hell had happened to him in such a short space of time? He looked like he had gone ten rounds with the Voldemort.

He looked her over quickly, she hadn't aged a damn day. Still, the slim, bushy-haired seventeen-year-old girl that he had come to know and loathe. What the hell had happened in the portrait?

"Are you… Are you the headmaster?" She asked with a feigned sigh and worry etched deeply on her face.

Furrowing his brow he cocked his head to the side trying to process what she had just said… That question came from left field and took him by surprise.

"No, Miss Granger."

"Thank god," She whispered happily under her breath and watched as his eyes narrowed for a moment.

"Not recently anyway," He added.

"What... What's that supposed to mean?"

"Come, Miss Granger. There is a whole lot of explaining for us to do. In private."

"Us? She questioned with the utmost sincerity.

"Yes, us," He muttered gruffly, casting his doe Patronus in the most elegant and commanding way she had probably seen anyone cast it in her life.

"Minerva, I have Miss Granger," He muttered softly to the doe before it leapt out of sight down the long corridor. He needed a stiff drink because this was going to be an excruciatingly long night.

 **A/N: Here you all go xx. I hope you like it. This will take me a while to piece the story together, there will probably be flashbacks in there as well to further explain the story.**

 **Thanks!**

 **-Aliasmel1**


	5. Chapter 5

"I thought we were going to see Professor McGonagall?" Hermione half turned to cast a confused look over her shoulder at Snape as they walked through the hallowed halls of Hogwarts. "Why are we heading to Dumbledore's office?" She asked with such total innocence, it was almost sad.

"As I said, Miss Granger, there is a lot to explain and you will get your answers in good time." He ambled painfully slow behind her, almost struggling to keep up with her brisk pace. May the gods burn that damned filthy snake in the depths of hell for doing this to him, he thought sourly to himself as they finished the walk to the office in relative silence. The only sound was their footsteps reverberating heavily off the stone walls of the castle. He loved it at this time of night, so quiet, he could easily move around without having to scream at a dunderhead for doing something totally bloody stupid that he knew would be bound to kill them if it went wrong. And he didn't want to have to be the one consoling someone's mother as they sobbed into his robes after he had explained what happened because he had borne witness to such idiocy.

Quietly they climbed the stairs to Minerva's office, Hermione pushing open the heavy wooden doors to allow the both of them access. Gone was the gargoyle that once stood guard for Dumbledore, Minerva preferring an open office policy for any child that should need her.

"Is it really you? Minerva stood quickly and paced quickly across the room as Hermione entered escorted closely by Severus who was a few steps behind her still.

"I… Of course, it is. Why is everyone acting so weird towards me right now?" She said with an angry huff as she practically threw herself into a chair that was tucked up close against the large mahogany desk.

"Did you floo Potter and Weasley?" Severus almost snapped a little harder than he was meant to. It wasn't deliberate but when someone was in so much pain, there was only so much they could take and part and parcel of that were to be even snappier than usual.

"I did. They will be around very."

Severus only gave a curt nod as he paced backwards and forwards, each step an agonising task but he hid the pain behind his stoic facade. No one ever really knew how much pain he was in. Pain aside, how and why did she come back now?

"Hermione, let's have a look at you," Minerva began sternly as she perched precariously on the desk in front of the girl. Reaching out she grabbed the young girl by the chin and forced her head up to look her in the eyes. How peculiar, she thought silently to herself as she studied Hermione for a few moments. She looked the same she did the day she vanished off the face of the earth.

Hermione took the chance to study the elder witch, her hair was whiter, and wrinkles deeper than she remembered. The kind twinkle in her eye was still the same but she looked older, more tired and this confused Hermione beyond measure. This had to be a dream. She would wake up at any moment.

"She hasn't aged a day," Severus and Minerva said in total unison.

"It's unheard of," Minerva began.

"It's Impossible," Snape bit out dryly.

"It's Hermione!" The two very tall, very fit and very muscular men said in unison as they appeared almost silently in the fireplace together. They stepped out brushing the ash from their clothes and stood, taking in the sight of their best friend perched on the seat and looking even more confused as the moments went on. If they were being honest, she looked as if she were about to burst into tears and run away.

"Who are you?" Hermione looked absolutely stunned as the two men came bounding across the room towards her, arms extended as if they were going to hug her. She stood and back herself into the corner as fast as she could, she wasn't hugging any strange men, even if they did know her name.

"Can someone please tell me what is going on here. Who are they?" She asked about Harry and Ron, "and why do the two of you look totally different? Please, someone, tell me," She sobbed heavily. Angrily. This was too confusing even for her complex brain.

"Hermione, it's us." Harry beamed at the girl, taking a few steps backwards giving her some space.

"H..Harry?" She choked out, her eye caught a glimpse of the faded scar peeking out from behind his raven hair and she relaxed a little.

"Ron?!" Hermione exclaimed as she looked Ron up and down for a moment. She felt sick. What was happening here?

"We've missed you so much. We didn't think you were ever coming back," Ron beamed.

Hermione pulled herself up to her full height and sat back in the chair she had previously occupied.

"Hermione, remember when you walked into the portrait?" Harry began.

"About five minutes ago, yeah." Hermione shrugged, her face contorting into a look of total confusion. Had the portrait transported her to an alternate universe?

"That's the thing, Miss Granger. It wasn't five minutes ago. It was seven years ago," Minerva said.

"Wait, what?" She blinked rapidly, her heart beating hard against her chest as she tried to process the bombshell that was just dropped upon her with force.

Severus sighed from the shadows of the room, stepping forward a little into the light. "Seven years ago, Draco Malfoy planted a portrait with the premise of targeting you. He knew exactly where to place it in such a way you would end up within it. Bellatrix Lestrange had tasked him with placing the portrait within the castle to contain you and ultimately stop Harry from getting any further in his quest against Voldemort. It was noted from early on that you were meddlesome to his quest in domination, much too smart of mind and way too brave to back down. Bellatrix may she burn in the depths of hell from where she originally crawled out from, put a dark curse on the portrait, one that not even the most astute curse-breaker from the Ministry could break. They deemed it a hopeless case and gave up. Seven years you were gone for. Until tonight when you appeared." He finished. Hermione's jaw was almost on the ground and he was sure someone would have to help her pick it up.

"Bellatrix Lestrange is dead?" Hermione asked softly, eyes widening in disbelief.

"Lot's of people are dead now, Hermione. So many of them," Harry added solemnly, visibly swallowing hard, carding a shaky hand through his raven locks that had grown substantially since she had last seen him. He looked so much older, fitter, stronger and he towered over her with ease, the same with Ron.

"Fred, George, Tonks, Lupin…" Ron interjected.

"Dumbledore." Hermione interrupted harshly as she clapped a hand hard to her mouth at the realization of what was happening.

"You." She pointed a shaky finger at Severus. "You were Headmaster, appointed by Voldemort."

"Correct." He cocked a brow at her intruded at how she knew so much.

"Bill and Fleur got married. Voldemort had hold of the ministry."

"How do you know all of this, Hermione?" Harry asked in an interested upward inflection.

Hermione felt as if she had to pace now, she couldn't stand still at the revelation that was starting to unravel. "In the portrait, there was a long corridor that led to a room. In the room, there was a book sitting on a large lectern in the centre. It showed me what was happening, from Dumbledore's death to Snape being appointed headmaster. Then it stopped with a list of the dead from the war."

"So you know nothing else?" Severus asked gently.

"Nothing at all."

"You should be twenty-four years old age now, Miss Granger. Now, instead, you are Seventeen, left behind by time. Much has changed in the time you have been gone." He looked pointedly at Harry and Ron as if willing them to join in on the conversation.

"Hermione…Ron and I… So much has changed. We are both on the team for the Chudley Cannons. We married as well."

"Oh Harry, I had no idea you and Ron felt that way about one another."

Harry turned a flaming shade of red and she was sure she heard an amused snort come from Snape's direction. "We didn't marry one another Hermione. I married Ginny and Ron married-" he was cut off as Hermione cut in, "Lavender," she spat violently.

"Well… Yes." Harry shifted awkwardly on the spot. "We are going to be fathers in the next few months."

"That's nice," Hermione huffed, folding her arms tightly across her chest, her whole demeanour had changed.

"It's been years, Hermione," Ron began, trying to clutch one of her hands but she tore it from his grasp.

"So, I vanish and you both run off, shack up and marry the first girls that throw themselves at you. Is that how it is?" She visibly seethed. She had no idea why she was so angry over this.

"We waited for you, Hermione. We sat by the portrait for weeks. We waited for years. We visited all the time and begged and pleaded with whatever divine forces we could. We paid for the best curse-breaker in the world to come but it was futile.

"Yeah. I'm sure you did," She spat coldly.

"I think this is a lot for Miss Granger to take all in for one night. Perhaps we should all get some rest and regroup in the morning, I'll escort Miss Granger to the guest quarters for the night."

"Why can't I go to Gryffindor tower?!" Hermione almost whinged like a petulant child.

"It's been seven years, Miss Granger. You wouldn't know one person in the tower and to drop you in there in the middle of the night would be foolish. Imagine the hype in the morning when everyone found out you had returned." He had a point.

"I will get Argus to remove and dispose of the portrait appropriately," Minerva announced to the room. All they needed was for another unsuspecting child to wander into it aimlessly.

Harry and Ron ambled slowly to the floo and climbed in together. "I'm sorry, Hermione. We're sorry," Harry sighed sadly, vanishing as the green flames licked at their bodies.

"This way, Miss Granger." Severus led the way ever so slowly and Hermione shuffled angrily behind him, she had one burning question that she wanted to be answered.

"What happened to Draco Malfoy? Was he thrown into Azkaban for being an accessory to a crime?"

"Unfortunately not. He pleaded feigned innocence claiming he had no idea what the portrait was for. and the fact it couldn't be proven if you were dead or alive, the Wizengamot deemed him a victim of circumstance."

"That's bull! What I would give to be able to tear Draco Malfoy a new one," She seethed.

"Well, you are in luck, Miss Granger. He is the current History of Magic professor. I daresay you will get your chance to 'tear him a new one' as you so eloquently stated, some time tomorrow."

"I can't wait," She snapped through gritted teeth. He was going to pay.

 **A/N: Wow. The response I had to the last chapter was phenomenal. So, so many faves and alerts! Thank you all. I hope I can do this story justice. It will be a few more chapters of piecing everything then hopefully I can get this story flowing in the direction of a romance.**

 **-Aliasmel1**


	6. Chapter 6

"Professor?" Hermione's soft, innocent voice snapped him out of the sour thoughts he currently had running through his mind as they ambled along slowly.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" He asked with a sigh. More questions, he just knew it.

"What happened to you?" Soft footsteps echoing off the walls of the empty halls as they walked closer to the guest quarters of Hogwarts. A wing usually reserved for visiting teachers or students of other schools.

"That is a very broad question, Miss Granger. What happened to me when? What happened to me to cause me to be such a miserable bastard, what happened to me during my childhood? You may have to elaborate a little on the subject."

The two walked in silence for a little longer as Hermione pondered the words ever so thoughtfully in her head so as not to offend.

"What happened to your body. The way you walk, the pain etched into your face. You can hardly keep up with my pace and my legs are half the length of yours." She stopped abruptly and he almost ran right up against the back of her. She turned slowly towards him just to see him skidding to a stop. "You used to almost glide effortlessly, you were intimidating."

"Are you saying I'm no longer intimidating, Miss Granger?" A sneer formed on his thin lips showing his yellowing teeth. He was still as intimidating as every thank you very much.

"Well yes, but not as much. Before you used to command presence and now…" She looked shyly to the floor before continuing, "now you shuffle along like an old man…"

"If it has escaped your notice, Miss Granger, I am an old man." A single brow quirked as he cast a solemn look in her direction, she blushed under his heavy gaze.

"Well, yeah, kind of, I guess. But your gait and movement mimic that of someone in their eighties."

"Some days I feel like I am in my eighties." He chuckled sadly. "Let's get you to the guest quarters and I may tell you what happened if you are lucky. And only because I feel sorry for your plight. You never know what prying ears may be lingering the halls at this twilight hour so I feel talking in private would be ideal."

He felt a little awkward calling her Miss Granger like she was still his student, a child. Well, he guessed she was still a child and quite possibly his student but, in his head, this didn't add up. He knew deep down that she shouldn't be a child, nor his student and he took pity on her. He didn't pity many people, but he felt it called for it in this situation.

While she was still in the body of a Seventeen-year-old, technically she was much, much older, an adult to do as she pleased. How would the ministry delegate over such an issue? This had never happened in Wizarding history. Would they deem her to still be the seventeen-year-old, or would they deem her to be the young adult she was supposed to be?

He thought long and hard as they approached the entrance to the quarters and slowly stepped through the door. Hermione plonked herself down on the lounge unceremoniously, as if she were carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Severus sat down gently in a single armchair. Tenting his fingers, he tapped his lips in deep thought as neither said a world and Hermione was thankful for the moment of silence so she could think and try to process the whirlwind of information that was thrust unceremoniously onto her.

"So what happened with you?" She asked when she had managed to process a minuscule amount of what she had to think about.

"Nagini," He said simply, looking to the ground with sadness in his eyes.

"Nagini?" Hermione asked in a surprised, upward inflection, almost like she didn't believe it.

He nodded solemnly, onyx hair sway to and fro gently. "Voldemort thought I were the master of the elder wand and tried to kill me so he would have possession. The truth was, Harry was the master of the wand having disarmed Draco who disarmed Dumbledore the night he was killed."

She clamped a slender hand to her mouth as fast as lightning. "Draco killed Dumbledore?" She managed to blurt out as bile threatened to spill forth from her stomach.

"Not quite. No. I did."

"You!" She screeched, doing her best impression of a barn owl as anger danced in the depth of her chocolate brown eyes.

"Let me explain before you pull your wand out and hex me from here to next week. Draco was tasked to kill Dumbledore but his mother, Narcissa, knew he wouldn't be able to go through with it so asked me to take an unbreakable vow to do the deed that Draco wouldn't be able to. Dumbledore was already dying anyway, and it was discussed that I would kill him instead of condemning Draco to have to live with the guilt of murder for the rest of his life thus keeping him from Azkaban and the retribution that would follow."

"Wait, wait." She held two hands up as she tried to work out what was going on here. "Dumbledore didn't want to condemn Draco to the guilt of murder AFTER he had condemned me to a life of misery and possible death by bringing a portrait into the school that possessed power beyond what he could even imagine. Dumbledore felt sorry for him?!" Standing up she pulled her hair slighting in utter frustration. Dumbledore with a fool.

"Yes. Basically. Dumbledore did many, many things that I could never explain even if I wanted to." He watched as she paced backwards and forwards, much like a caged lion in the zoo looking as if she were ready to pounce and tear his throat out with her bare teeth just out of pure anger and frustration.

"So Draco commits a heinous crime, thus trapping me in a portrait, gets off scot-free and then gets all of the pity from Dumbledore while I am trapped and the world just skips by merrily without me?" She snarled, her entire body shaking, and tears of pure anger flowed gently down her reddened cheeks. Whipping her wand from her pocket she made a line for the door.

"I'm going to kill him, right now. Where is he?" She snapped, stopping to turn to look at Snape with anger dancing in her eyes freely and he reeled just ever so slightly. She was a girl possessed.

He thought for a moment, it would be interesting to follow and see her extricate Malfoys balls from his boxer shorts and shove them down his throat. It would be amazing to see him cowering in the corner as Hermione Granger threw ten hexes in a row at him before he even had a chance to deflect the first one. It would be great, hell, it would be the best thing he had seen this year, but morally he knew it was wrong to let her do such a thing. Morally wrong that no one would get to witness it, that was.

"Or, you can wait till the morning when you have an audience?" He suggested, a wry grin tugged at the corner of his thin lips, amusement etched into his face.

She lowered her wand. He had a point; an audience would be much better.

"You have a point. Now please continue your story." She sat back down, having realised that he never did actually tell her what happened.

"So, Nagini attacked me. She possessed magic and darkness beyond measure. I survived. Just. And now I have a curse swirling around my body with no known cure. I am weakened and unwell and not a damn healer in the country can find something to counteract the curse. It gets worse every day and it won't be long before I am bed bound, I assume."

Silence hung thick in the air. "I'm sorry."

"I don't need your sympathy, Miss Granger."

"I wasn't giving you sympathy, I was just expressing my sincere thoughts. Professor."

"I've come to terms with it." He shrugged with a large upheaval of his shoulders. "It's been a long night for you, Miss Granger. Rest up and in the morning, I dare say more information will be divulged to you." With a curt nod, he rose to his feet and shuffled off, letting himself out through the door.

 **A/N: Wow. Just wow. I cannot even fathom the amount of follows and favourites I have received for not only this story but for me as an author. I am going away for a week and I'm not taking my laptop with me so there won't be any updates for a while, so please bear with me.**

 **I love seeing all the reviews sitting in my inbox after I post a new chapter. It really does motivate me to write faster because I know you are all out there waiting for an update.**

 **-Aliasmel1**


	7. Chapter 7

Hermione punched her pillow forcefully as she tried to get sleep to grasp her in its clutches, but it was all in vain. Sleep wasn't going to drag her off from her thoughts.

She wondered if her parents had been notified yet of her arrival back and she suspected they would be around soon. Well, she hoped they would, anyway.

She tossed, and she turned violently, angry that she couldn't get her mind to settle and stop racing so fast. She honestly wasn't sure what she was angrier about, the fact that Draco had done this to her, or the women Harry and Ron ended up with. Pansy Parkinson! Of all the people in the world, Ron chose that little Harlot. And Ginny did Harry have no other creativity or foresight in his own life that he had to shack up with his best friends' sister.

A small part of her knew that she would have probably ended up with either of the boys, so it tore at her heart to know that neither waited for her… Although she couldn't exactly blame them on that front, she was gone for many a year and they couldn't just put their entire lives on hold while hopelessly grasping onto the fact that perhaps one day she would appear.

After hours of tossing and turning and sleep evading her, she rose with the sun as it peeked over the dazzling grounds of Hogwarts, bathing the room in a soft warm golden glow and she stretched her hands above her head to the melodic sounds of each vertebrae popping gently back into place.

She was so confused; would she be considered a student on Hogwarts still or would they consider her an adult at the age she was supposed to be? How would the ministry even determine this? As far as she knew this was a unique and isolated case never once before seen in the magical world in Great Britain and Abroad.

She sighed frustrated and began to pace backwards and forwards, one foot in front of the other as she tried to think but it as almost impossible. This was making her head hurt.

o-o-o-o-o

"What happened to Granger's portrait?" Draco asked, breathless as he stumbled up to the head table in the hall early the next morning after Hermione had manifested almost out of nowhere. Worry etched int every line in his face, long shoulder length blonde hair and chiselled angular features had him looking more like his father every single day.

Severus leaned coolly back in his chair, happy to watch the younger man squirm in dread as he waited for an answer.

"No idea." Severus shrugged his shoulders trying to maintain the most stoic expression he had to maintain ever in his life. He tolerated Draco but he wasn't his favourite person he had to see every day of the week.  
"Bullshit!" Draco spat as he sat heavily in his chair that flanked Snape's own. "You know everything that happens in this place."

"I do… And would you believe in this instance I don't? What are the odds?" Severus reached forward plucking a slice of toasts between his fingers, the warmth radiating up his fingers.

"Stop holding out on me, you know exactly where and what happened to the portrait so just tell me." Draco cried, admonished, waving a fork in Severus's vision in utter frustration and Severus worried for one brief moment that Draco may take his eye out by accident.

"What's wrong, Draco? Worried Granger is going to come back for you? Worried you might just see her ghostly form float through the doors and haunt you for the rest of your natural life for what you did?" A coy brow rose, lips tugged at the corners into an amused smirk that vanished as soon as it appeared.

"NO!" Draco yelled, slamming two white fists hard against the table, causing all the students currently in the hall to glare in his direction. "I'm not worried or scared at all."

"Really? Because if I were you, I probably would be, could you imagine the wrath she would release upon you?" Severus asked, taking a slow bite of his toast.

"If Granger walked in right now, I would just laugh in her face," Draco Harrumphed, leaning casually back in his chair.

"That's good because here she comes now." Severus pointed to the doors of the Great Hall to see an irate Hermione Granger storming down towards the head table, wand out and trained directly on Draco. If looks could kill, Draco would be dead.

"Wait, wha-?" Draco's head snapped to the front of the hall and every ounce of colour he had in his face drained to a pale white ghostly colour.

"G…Granger?" Draco choked out, palms sweating profusely as he watched the young girl barrel down the hall towards him.

"You!" She screeched, doing her best impression of a large barn own, the entirety of the hall now had their eyes fixated upon Hermione and Draco. Gasps ringing throughout the crowd. Was this the Hermione Granger that was nothing more than legend? A mass of hushed whispers and side glances ensured throughout the hall as Draco jumped to his feet, reaching for his own wand.

Severus smiled, for the first time in a long time he beamed a genuine smile, he really needed to see this, to break up the monotony of his miserable life and reroute his thoughts away from the constant pain he was in.

"Put the wand down, Granger." Draco took a few steps towards her, head tilted, and brows furrowed, why the hell? What the hell? Why was she so young?

"I'm not backing down, Malfoy!" Hermione screamed, shaking. The pure rage that raced through her body made her feel as if she could take on a troll in hand to hand combat and win right now.

"Granger? Why are you so young?" He was utterly perplexed.

"Because of your misdoings that is why!"

"I was only the messenger; I didn't put that portrait there for any other reason than I was instructed to do."

"If Bellatrix had have told you to jump off the London Bridge would you have done that?" She closed the gap another foot or so. He looked way too much like his father now and just as much of a pompous ass.

"Well, yeah, actually. She was batshit mental and would have thrown me off if I didn't." Running a shaky hand through his blonde hair to try to steady his emotions. It didn't work.

"Because of you, I come back years later, still the same age and have missed out on a huge portion of my own life, because of you my friends have gone off and married and are now having children whilst, in essence, I am still basically a child myself. The gap between us and the years passed is too marginal for me to just crawl out of the portrait that you condemned me to and start up again as nothing happened." Chest heaving, anger almost radiating from her as eyes shot daggers in his direction.

"Well, technically I just placed the portrait in the school… Bellatrix is the one who cursed it who actually leaned it from Antonin Dolohov which may I add I personally went to Azkaban and asked him to tell me how to lift the curse and he wouldn't divulge the information."

"Oh well, then that makes it all fine. I'll head on over to Azkaban and unleash my wrath upon Dolohov for teaching Bellatrix the curse who then got you to put the portrait in the castle, I am mistaken, none of this is your fault whatsoever. And wow, I can't even be angry that you traipsed all the way to Azkaban to try to fix it."

"See, I knew you would see it my way." Draco relaxed visibly, dropping his wand lazily by his side.

"You aren't well versed in Sarcasm, are you, Malfoy?" Lightning fast she shot a blue light from the end of her wand, hitting him square in the chest sending him flying back and hitting the wall with a thud louder than she imagined a body could make. Masses of gasps rang throughout the hall as all bore witness to Hermione Granger's fury upon their professor.

Groggily and shakily Draco tried to clamber to his feet it took him a few attempts, but he got there in the end and hazily fired a curse off at Hermione who easily deflected it. He may be years ahead of her in age, but his wand work was still lazy and sub-par.

She flicked her wand again at him once more, his legs collapsing from beneath him, he was unable to stand again. She smiled as he helplessly tried to clamber to his feet but failed. For one last hurrah, she took a walk down memory lane and turned him into a white-blonde ferret that was rooted to the spot, unable to move.

Minerva came rushing to him flanked by two students who had run off to inform her of the happening in the hall.

"Miss Granger!" The elder witch yelled in her deep Scottish brogue. "We don't transform our professors." She turned Draco back to his normal form, he looked highly offended and a little scared.

"He's no professor of mine!" She scoffed, pocketing her wand in her jeans. She had a point.

"And Severus! You let this happen right in front of you!" Minerva explained in utter disbelief.

"Is it illegal to have a little fun, Minerva? Just let me have some fun." Eyes rolled almost into the back of his skull. He had always wanted to see Hermione versus Draco and even in his years beyond her own Draco failed, but of course, she knew that would happen. Draco whilst smart was too cocky and where he failed in school Hermione had excelled.

"Miss Granger get to my office now, you too, Severus. The Aurors have come and wish to talk to you both." She waved her hands wildly in an absolute tizzy over the events that had just unfolded. Honestly, the precedence that Hermione had set would be hard to break.

"Mister Malfoy, if you need to, take yourself to the hospital wing, otherwise head off and teach your class." She nodded curtly and scurried from the hall as fast as she could.

 **A/N: Here you all go. Just a little filler chapter to keep you all sated! I didn't plan on this being a long fic by any stretch of the imagination. Just something fun and fluffy to balance other not as fun fics I am writing. Maybe 15-20 chapters maximum... Although I do say that a lot and end up with these stories that span 30 chapters.**

 **-Aliasmel1**


	8. Chapter 8

The two slowly ambled into Minerva's office to be greeted by three men. Only one of them Hermione knew, the other two she didn't have the foggiest idea in who they might be, and she assumed they must be the Aurors that were waiting for her.

"Mister Shacklebolt, what are you doing here?" Hermione asked, beaming as she took a seat. Severus followed suit and sat beside her.

The dark-skinned man smiled meekly back at Hermione. He couldn't believe that she was here. Alive.

"Hermione. It's been a while. Severus." He nodded curtly as he paced the room. The two other men stood stock still, unwavering. "We have Robinson and Baxter, both Aurors." Kingsley inclined his head to the two men. "And as the Minister for Magic, I will be overseeing whatever happens here today."

"Oh… You're the minister?" Hermione asked with a surprised upward inflection.

"I am. We need to talk about things. Everything, actually." Kingsley stopped pacing and perched precariously on the edge of the large wooden desk just as Minerva busted into the room.

"Robinson." Kingsley inclined his head to a tall, slim dirty-blond haired man standing off to the side of the room. "You know what to do." The man only nodded hard once. Pulling his wand from his robes he ran it three times along the length of the sitting girl, concentration etched into every line of his face.

After a few minutes of silence and a few more wand waves, the man stepped back. "It is Hermione Granger. Her age is showing somewhere between seventeen and eighteen years of age. She is in perfect health." He stepped back to his spot; arms folded tightly across his chest now.

"You see, Hermione," Kingsley began, "We have a few issues here. You are still in your teens when you should be well into your twenties. The other issue is now that you are back you can press charges against Draco, and he will be hauled before the Wizengamot for another trial. Just say the word and these two will take him into custody."

Hermione shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Was this a route she wanted to tread down? Did she want to get this kind of revenge and turn someone's whole world upside down? She felt every single set of eyes boring into her as she battled with her head and heart. He deserved it, but then again if she put herself in his shoes, would she have defied Bellatrix? The woman was the epitome of a sociopath. If you looked up sociopath up in the dictionary there would have been a photo of her front and centre.

"Can I think about it?" She asked, confused about the decision she should make.

"Of course." Kingsley nodded solemnly.

"Is there any reason I need to be here?" Severus spoke low with a growl, interrupting them.

"Actually there is, bear with me here. Now as you know, nothing like that has happened ever before, at least not in any of the archives we have searched. This is where you come in, Severus. We need you to brew an ageing potion to place Hermione at the age she should be rather than the age she is now. We need a Potions Master to do it and what better than the best one in the world," he finished hopefully.

He snorted. "Flattery will get you nowhere minister. It's not happening." Severus shook his head roughly. "An ageing potion is finicky and almost impossible at the best of times but to make one place someone at a certain age is difficult, especially a potion that will last and not wear off is just about unheard of. Coupled with my failing body and inability to perform most tasks I used to be able to do, I couldn't commit to it." He sighed haughtily. His body was too unreliable now, weak and shaky. He couldn't offer to do it for fear he would royally destroy it.

"Please, Severus," Minerva spoke up, pleading with the elder man. "You are the only one that can do it. There is no Healer, Auror, Mediwitch, man, woman or child alive that can brew that potion to the correct standards that you brew too."

His expression softened glancing at the girl. He did feel sorry for her, and he could only imagine the confusion and anger she harboured over the whole thing right now, but physically he didn't think he would be able to perform such a task. One wrong move and the potion would be ruined with catastrophic consequences.

He sighed, almost defeated. "It takes months to brew. It must be started on the first day of the full moon and the ingredients needed are few and far between. Has anyone asked Miss Granger what she wants instead of just running with an idea? Has anyone actually asked her if she would like to accelerate her age or if she would like to age gracefully?"

Every pair of eyes fell on her once more and she squirmed visibly under the pressure. "I… Well… I guess I am happy with either one," She stumbled over her words. "I think I'd like to advance my age, so I am as closer to my friends as possible."

"But your friends aren't the same people you once knew," Severus interjected. "Would it not be better to age naturally and acquire other friends of your age and grow up alongside them. It's a different world out there now, Miss Granger. Your friends now many years your senior are having children and getting married. So, whilst you might physically be the same age, mentally and emotionally you will still be the teenage girl you are today." He steepled his fingers looking expectantly at her. He really didn't want the responsibility of brewing this potion.

Damn it. He had a very valid point. She was nowhere near ready for marriage or children and couldn't see the appeal, yet Ron and Harry were well advanced in that department. Even if she were the same age, they had years ahead of her and were ultimately different from the two boys she left behind seven years ago.

"And what do my parents think of this? Technically, in the muggle world, I would still be under their guidance till I was eighteen years of age." Folding her ankles together and slid down in the chair as she pulled intently at a loose thread on the hem of her school skirt she was wearing.

Instantly the mood in the room dropped and the atmosphere was so palpable and thick you could have just about cut through it with a blunt knife. No one spoke. No one dared to breathe.

"What?" Hermione asked softly, unaware of the magnitude of the subject she was asking about.

"Hermione. Dear," Minerva's voice dropped a few octaves and all formalities had gone out the window, she adopted a sympathetic tone. "Your parents. They passed two years after you went missing. A car accident. I'm so sorry," she whispered while maintaining eye contact the entire time. She watched as the girl's face flushed with anger, hurt and sadness. She wanted to cry but she managed to hold it in despite the large lump in her throat and the hot tears pricking at her eyes threatening to fall.

"Oh… oh. Okay," She managed to choke out through the tears, still holding them back tightly behind a wall that she refused to let down. Could her life honestly get any worse right now? "I think I'd like to go down the ageing potion route." She sniffed shooting a glance sideways at Severus who slumped just slightly in his chair. "I don't mind helping brew it if Professor Snape finds aspects difficult. I don't mind stirring or measuring ingredients. I'd even be happy to help him out collecting ingredients, cleaning his stores and brewing simple potions for the infirmary." Right now, she needed something, anything to keep her mind busy and off the fact, her entire life had fallen apart in a mere twenty-four hours.

"No. One hundred percent not happening." Severus folded his arms over his chest in an act of defiance. If the bushy-haired know-it-all thought she was just going to waltz into his lab and start rummaging around, organising and brewing she was probably actually correct because Minerva would insist, and he wouldn't be able to decline.

"Severus." Minerva looked pointedly at him, condemning him with guilt with just a looked. "Given the circumstances surrounding all of this I think it would be good for Hermione to have something to do, to look forward to. You know she is more than capable of helping you."

He sighed. In other words, she was going to send Hermione down, no if's buts or maybes and he should show a little kindness to the girl given the recent news she had received. "Do what you want, Miss Granger. My opinion and needs pale in comparison to everyone else's." There. He was defeated and he was too tired and unwell to fight anymore. Seven years ago, had this been proposed he would have fought tooth and nail for it to not happen. Not anymore.

"It's settled." Minerva clapped her hands together. "Hermione you will help Severus. Severus stop looking as if you had just been exiled to death. This will be good for you; Merlin knows you need all the help you can get, and you aren't getting any better."

She had a point. Fuck.

"Baxter." Kingsley inclined his head and the shorter, brown-haired Auror walked over and produced a small brown box from the pocket of his robes, gently placing it on the desk before them.

"All of the ingredients you need for the potion are here, Severus. It just needs your expertise to turn an idea into a reality."

"I can't wait," Severus snapped. Sarcasm dripped off his every word as she slowly clambered to his feet.

"Come along Miss Granger. If I am to do this I want to start preparing now. The quicker I get this brewed, the quicker I won't have you rummaging around my stores and gracing me with your presences."

Hermione only nodded. He was still rude and abrasive, she thought to herself. At least that part of him didn't vanish. She followed him out of the room, trotting slowly behind him like an obedient puppy.

 **A/N: Here you all go. Because I got so many reviews and felt the love, I have rewarded you all with a chapter already!**

 **-Aliasmel1**


	9. Chapter 9

He ran a long digit quickly ran over a large sheet of parchment as he perused the Luna chart to get the best start on the potion for Hermione. The sooner it was done, the sooner he could go back to being the hermit he had become, well more so now that previously before the attack. "Now. According to the Luna chart, there is a full moon due to pass by in the next week. If we prepare the ingredients, we can start to brew the potion and hopefully have it prepared and ready sooner rather than later."

He gently placed the small box of ingredients he had been given on the desk and rummaged around a cupboard for a cauldron before dropping it on the bench with a metallic clatter, not on purpose, the fact was he hardly had the strength left in his hands to even hold a stirring rod, let alone picking up cauldrons and it angered him so. Why should he be condemned to a life of misery and premature death? Obviously bad things happened to bad people.

"Is there anything I can do?" Hermione asked with feigned innocence as he slowly walked across the room to fetch the pewter mixing rod he would need to stir the potion.

"Fix my old, failing body," he replied with a forced sigh, a sadness washed over his features as he grabbed the rod and began to slowly shuffle back.

"Have you tried to brew a potion to help you heal…" She asked with youthful innocence as she watched him slowly amble the length of the room.

He stopped walking and turned slowly to her. "You honestly don't think that I, a Potions Master, haven't tried brewing a potion for myself to stop the abhorrent pain I live in daily? You honestly don't think that I didn't attempt to brew something to stop or stave off the effects of the dark magic that courses through my vein's day in and day out? You don't think that I have searched the ends of the earth for information on the abhorrent disease that has taken hold of my body and is robbing me day by day of a life without pain, inching me closer and closer to death? No. I haven't," he snapped viciously, his top lip curled up into a sneer.

"So…Sorry," She mumbled sadly under her breath. It wasn't her fault, she hadn't been here for seven years so knew nothing of what had or hadn't happened.

He sighed a deep sigh and waved a dismissive hand. "I'm the one who should be sorry. It's not your fault, you didn't know. Just this insidious curse that has me in its clutches isn't nice. I try daily to fight it but every time I fight it the more it consumes me, weakens me further. The pain intensifies as each day goes by and eventually, it won't be too long, and I think I will depart this earth a mere mortal sooner rather than later, free of the diseased shell that holds me captive day after day. If there is a cure out there for it, it hasn't been found yet, well at least, I haven't found it."

"I'm sorry to hear you are going through this…" Sincerity laced into her tone.

Even in her time of need she still felt sympathy towards others when he could barely muster up a grimace towards most. He did, however, feel something for her situation, placed in a time long after everyone she knew had moved on. Her parent's dead she too had nobody in life just as he had nobody to lean on.

He shrugged softly. "Shit happens. I was just in the wrong place, at the wrong time to be on the receiving end of Voldemort's wrath. He thought I possessed the power of the Elder wand and I didn't. " He let a long breath of air out through his nose. "I guess we were both victims of circumstances. You robbed of the past seven years of your life and I, robbed of being able to live the last seven years of my life because of constant pain and suffering." He began to pull the ingredients out of the box, laying them on the wooden table before him, sorting them out by size.

"Is there anything I can do?" She asked softly, feeling incredibly awkward standing here with Severus Snape, alone, idly with nothing to do.

"Normally I wouldn't ask this of anyone but on my desk, in the classroom, there is a stack of parchments for the first years that need grading. I feel you are more than capable." He barely looked up at her as he began to cut delicately with a silver knife, his hands aching with every swipe of the knife but he had to get it done. If he did one last thing before leaving this earth, he at least wanted it to be a good deed to see him out.

She nodded curtly and vanished, appearing minutes later carrying a stack of parchments, a quill and a pot of red ink. She sat down at the same table as Severus, opposite him and set down to work. She may as well be put to good use, be a help, not a burden.

The two sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity, the only sound was him meticulously chopping on the chopping board and her piloting the quill over the parchment with ease.

"Don't go easy on them," he broke the silence setting down the knife as he opened and closed his hand a few times to get some feeling back in it.

"They are first years, am I supposed to shatter their confidence and reduce them to tears?" She asked with an upward inflection, placing the quill down and folding her hands primly in her lap.

"Yes, actually." He smiled wickedly as he watched her face fall and a brow raised in question. "You see if you treat them nice and give them a false sense of security they will never, ever try. They will expect great grades from sub-par work and that doesn't happen in my class. If I grade them harshly and pick their work to pieces, which I always do, I find it gives them the kick they need to unleash their full potential. There is no point going through seven years of schooling here to turn in lacklustre work and just scrape by."

Hermione harrumphed and narrowed her eyes. "Is that why, despite my work always being flawless you never, ever gave me full marks in anything?" She glowered angrily at him.

"You were one of the few that did have great dedication to your work and it showed, but nothing is perfect and your work wasn't perfect."

"I beg to differ" She folded her arms tightly across her chest and jutted her chin out.

"You have the potential to be anything you want, however, you never deviated from what the textbooks told you. I like to see people use their brains and step outside of their comfort zone. While technically you were correct in everything you wrote and your written work and presentation were flawless, you lacked the ability to engage me and have me thinking. I don't teach like that, Miss Granger. You learn nothing regurgitating what is written in textbooks, sometimes, you just need to think for yourself."

He picked the knife back up and began cutting, fully aware her piercing gaze was boring into the top of his head as he did so.

"You were one of the smartest in the class, I won't deny that, Miss Granger." A hollow statement in a bid to settle her down.

"How did Draco always get close to, or on par with my grades, I don't feel he was near as intelligent as I was, as I am." She plucked the quill angrily off the table and began almost stabbing the parchment she was marking.

"Two plus two equals four, but so does one plus three. Draco had his own roundabout way to do things and whilst in your eyes they weren't perfect or the correct way, he got his point across and actually thought for himself. So whilst his work wasn't as in-depth or always as correct as yours he didn't just read the textbook and write everything down like you. He actually explored other options, he deviated from where he was meant to and, in the end, usually came to the same conclusion as you. So yes, he did go miles around the world in what he was explaining, and you took the straighter, easier path, you both usually came to the same conclusion in the end. You and he were very much alike."

She snorted loudly. She was nothing like Draco Malfoy. "I'm nothing like him. I don't go around capturing people in portraits and condemning them to a life of misery and getting away without as much as an apology."

He placed the knife back down again on the chopping board. "Draco didn't do what he did to get even with you, or to be evil or cause you any misery, Draco did what he did out of desperation and panic. Bellatrix with a sociopath and he had Voldemort breathing down his neck expecting more and more off of him. He worried or his life and the life of his parents. You can't tell me you wouldn't have done something equally as depraved if you had Voldemort breathing down your neck threatening to slaughter your parents."

She didn't even look up. "I can't pass judgement because I was never in that situation. However, I have morals and standards and if I had to choose between making someone disappear and taking the easy way out, or finding another way you can bet your galleons on the fact I would have taken the harder path so as not to condemn another person to save my own life."

"I suppose," he began, picking the knife back up and chopping, "that we all choose what we feel is needed at the time. In the grand scheme of things, don't we all choose the easy way out to benefit ourselves. In the giant picture, we say we care about others but we really only care about ourselves and how far we get in the world."

She only nodded in agreement, still marking. He had a point, she guessed.

 **A/N: Thank you to all the reviews and faves. I can really feel the love xx.**

 **-Aliasmel1**


	10. Chapter 10

Hermione hugged her knees close to her chest as she sat on her bed in the guests quarters at Hogwarts, hot tears spilling down her cheeks as her mind raced at a million miles an hour as she tried to place herself in the big, wide world that hadn't stopped for her at all. She was confused, she didn't belong anywhere, with any person or with any specific group.

She was no longer a student, deemed technically too old by the ministry, but physically and mentally she wasn't on par with other adults at the age she should be at. Her friends were far more advanced in their lives than she was, and even if she could be aged with the aging potion, she still had years between them not only mentally, but they were years advanced on everything, from jobs to houses and relationships. The situation was hopeless, and she was desperate to feel like she belonged. Right now, she was in limbo, suspended in purgatory with no sign of a way out any time soon.

She couldn't find new friends around Hogwarts, because in a few weeks when she would consume the potion Snape was so generously brewing for her, she would be much too old for them, and she didn't exactly want to really hang around with her old ones right now, both were staring down the barrel of impending fatherhood and she would bitterly feel left out. And besides, she wasn't exactly a child person so being around them didn't appeal to her in the slightest right now.

Her parents were dead, so there was no turning to them for sympathy or help. Her aunt wasn't exactly her favourite person, the only family she had left in the world, her grandparents all dying long before she reached her teens.

Her situation was hopeless, she felt hopeless, everything was hopeless. What next, anyway? What would she do, and where would she go? She had no job, she had nowhere to live, she had money at least, so that was a start, but it was bittersweet comfort in the grand scheme of things.

Right now she wondered if she could go skulking around and seek out where the portrait had been hidden, locked up tight because right now it would be better for her to find it, waltz in there and stay there for the rest of her natural life, at least in there she didn't have to deal with all of this.

A knock on the door roused her. Sitting bolt up-right she wiped her palms over her eyes, destroying any evidence that tears had been spilled. She hoped her eyes weren't too red and it wasn't too noticeable that she had been crying her heart out all alone.

Slowly she made it to the door and pulled it open with haste, Harry and Ron stood before her, beaming. She couldn't help but feel a little upset and a little pang of jealousy that they had been able to live their best life, while she was locked away from the world and was now living her worst life. Life had really fucked her over.

"Ha..rry, Ron," She managed to blurt out, stepping back and quickly wiping her palms over her eyes once more to further erase any signs that she had been crying.

The two men stepped in and made a beeline for the sofa, sitting, Hermione followed them and sat opposite them in a lone armchair. She wouldn't lie, she liked the quarters she had been given, it had a very homely feel much like Gryffindor tower, and it was very similar in outlay as the common room only on a much smaller scale.

Hermione crossed her ankles and placed her hands primly in her lap, back straight she focused on the wall behind the two men as tears began to well in her eyes and a lump formed in her throat, she willed herself not to lose focus, not to cry and not to show any weakness.

"So," Hermione began awkwardly, blinking back tears.

"So," Harry stated just as awkwardly.

An odd tension hung thick in the air, it was so palpable she could have almost reached out and cut it with the tip of her wand. There had rarely been an awkward moment between them since they had become friends, so this was an odd moment for her.

"How are things?" She snapped accidentally, coming across as sounding very much the bitter bitch.

"Good. Things are good. We are happy, well, happier now you are back. We have missed you." Harry smiled gently at her. She never was good at hiding the fact she had been crying. Her eyes sparkled when she had been crying.

"Ginny and Lavender, how are they?" She asked with hidden, bitter undertones in her voice, trying to hide the deep-seated disdain she had harboured deep within her soul.

She liked Harry; she had _really_ liked Harry more than just a friend but had never acted on the impulses. Putting them down to juvenile hormones making him seem more desirable than he really was. But now that she couldn't have him, jealousy was rearing its ugly head, the green-eyed monster wanting to lash out and hurt him like she had been hurt when she found out that he had married Ginny and not waited for her. It really was stupid and insensitive on her behalf, it wasn't like Harry knew her attraction, nor did he know she would ever emerge from the portrait again. He couldn't very well stop living his life on the false hope that one day she would emerge as nothing had happened. Nobody could foresee that. Not now, not ever.

"Yeah… Good," The two boys said in unison as they looked to one another for reassurance and Hermione couldn't help but feel as if perhaps they didn't feel the way about their current situation as they were making her believe. It was almost forced.

"Are you sure?" She folded arms tightly across her chest. She knew when they were lying, even all these years later. Other than having quidditch physiques, they were still the same bumbling boys who were terrible at lying.

"Yes, fine." Harry waved a dismissive hand, wanting to get off the subject as soon as he could.

"Ok. If you are sure…" She trailed off and decided to cut the subject then and there. She was just glad to have someone of familiarity come down to visit her, because right now, she was lonely and needed friends, any friend would do because right now, the only person who had even shown her one shred of sympathy was Severus Snape, and that said a lot considering he had about as much empathy as a gnat.

There was the awkward silence again, the silence that she hated. The silence that made her feel alone, so very, very alone and so very, very vulnerable. The type of silence that made her hate everything in her world.

"We have things for you. Things that might be of help. We know right now you are like a puzzle piece trying to find your spot in the puzzle and it might not be the right puzzle so you have to force yourself to fit somewhere in the interim until you find the right place for you," Harry tried to offer helpfully.

"So you are basically saying I should force myself into the closest things to normal as I can, even if it isn't normal and just accept it?" She tilted her head to the side, pondering exactly what he had just said to her. It was advice, probably not very good advice but advice none the less.

"Basically. I think." Ron shrugged glancing at Harry for confirmation.

"What I am saying is that even if you don't feel like you belong right now, eventually you will find your fit in the world again." Harry stretched his legs at full length in front of himself and crossed his ankles, watching Hermione intently.

"I guess." She shrugged. She wasn't feeling very philosophical enough right now to go through this now.

"So anyway," Ron began, nudging Harry in the ribs.

"Oh yes. Anyway. We come bearing gifts," Harry interjected.

"I see." She tried to show enthusiasm but right now, she really couldn't.

Fishing around in a pocket he plucked something small from within, standing he walked the two steps to Hermione and held his hand out. She held her palm out flat and he gently dropped two keys in her hand.

"What's this?" She asked, looking at the brass metal in her hand inquisitively.

"Keys."

She rolled her eyes. No shit, Sherlock. "I am aware of what they are, but to what do they belong?"

"The small key is for your house. Your parents, they left it to you…" He trailed off realising this would be a touchy subject for the girl.

"It's ok Harry, you don't have to tip-toe around me."

He looked at her with deep regard and sat beside her on the sofa, his leg gently brushed her own.  
"So, your parents left you the house. We have been keeping it maintained in a hope one day you would be back- "

"Let me repay you," She cut him off.

He waved a dismissive hand. "Don't be stupid. You are our friend we don't want payment. Merlin knows you have been through more than a single person should have to. And the other key is your Gringotts vault that we have been keeping current and active with monthly deposits."

"Harry you and Ron don't have to do this for me." The keys in her hand now became of interest to her as she stared at them while willing herself not to cry. She needed a distraction.

"Hermione." Harry gently placed a finger under her chin, tilting her head to look him in the eyes. The sadness swam in the depths of her eyes, distorted a little by the tears shimmering in her eyes threatening to fall.

"Hermione. We wanted to do this for you. You are our friend and despite what has happened we still love you with all our hearts. Nobody should have seen the atrocities that you have seen or been through what you have. We don't want payment and we don't want accolades. We just want our friend to get off on the right foot in her new life."

"Thank you." She smiled tearfully, still trying to blink them back without any luck.

"We better go." Ron stood, stretching his arms high above his head, Harry following suit.

Hermione stood too and followed her guests back to the door. Ron opened the door and walked out, standing in the corridor, waiting.

Hermione began to talk, dropping her voice to a low whisper so Ron wouldn't be privy to their conversation, "Is everything ok Harry? Really ok. Not you pretending everything is ok because you don't want to say something in front of Ron."

Harry studied her intently and smiled. She was still exactly as he had remembered her. Beautiful, smart and caring. He ran a shaky hand through his raven locks, his mouth going dry. The truth was, no, everything wasn't ok. His life was falling apart, he hated being married to Ginny with a passion and despite her being pregnant, a plot by her to save the marriage, he felt trapped.

"No. Not everything is fine. Ginny and I, we- "

"Are we going?" Ron ducked his head back through the door, causing Harry to abort the mission.

"Forget it, I will tell you another time. He sighed. Resigned to the fact he would now have to go home to Ginny once again, where things weren't as happy as they seemed."

He grabbed Hermione in a hug, drawing her in close his muscular arms enveloped her. She could feel every one of his taught chest muscles pressing firmly against her own body. The hug lingered a little longer than she imagined it should have, before finally he released her, smiling meekly he left the room with a wave.

No. Not everything is fine. She kept playing over and over in her head as she closed the door and retreated to her bedroom. What did that mean? What was that supposed to mean? She was more confused now than she was before.

o-o-o-o-o-o

"Professor?" She asked softly as he prepared ingredients for the potions for her.

"Mmm?" He hummed, looking up briefly as she perched on a stool marking homework once more. He could get used to her help around here. Merlin knew he wasn't getting any better.

"Do you know anything about Harry and Ginny's marriage?"

He stopped cutting and set the knife down, looking at her like she had grown another head.

She nibbled her lip between her teeth in deep thought as she continued to mark the homework.

"Well, I'm not exactly Harry Potters best friend or confidant. I know very little of his personal or love life. I daresay you know more on the subject than I would. Why do you ask?"

"Hmm. Oh. She looked up and set the parchment she was working on down on the desk. He came and saw me yesterday and something he said piqued my interest. I asked him if he were truly happy with Ginny and he said no, not everything was fine, but then Ron came back, and he stopped divulging information to me. I get a feeling he doesn't want to speak ill off Ginny in front of Ron."

"Well. I am no expert on human nature, but if someone says something isn't right then I have a hunch that maybe, just maybe something isn't right. I don't know, just a hunch."

She pursed her lips. "Well, you aren't very helpful."

"Nor are you really." He picked the knife up and began cutting again.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She folded her arms across her chest.

He looked up at her. "Exactly what I said. You aren't very helpful."

"I am. Who is sitting here marking for you?"

"And you wouldn't need to do that if I wasn't otherwise occupied brewing a potion for you, it's the least you can do for me."

"Whatever." She huffed, picking the quill and parchment up once again and resumed marking in awkward silence.

"Whatever? What are you, a child?"

"Well, actually if it has escaped your notice, technically I still am."

"No need to be smart, Miss Granger." He gnashed his teeth angrily. "If you were still a student of this school, I would take points from Gryffindor."

"Oh, no. I am so scared." She rolled her eyes pettily. "You started the whole argument by making out like I am no more than an inconvenience to you."

"Well if the boot fits, feel free to lace it up and wear it." He grinned wickedly at her.

"If I'm that much of an inconvenience to you, I will brew my own aging potion." He snorted, amused and stood up. "Well, here you go." He stepped back from the stool and watched as she made her way around, plonking unceremoniously in the chair and picking up the knife.

She began chopping, just as he had, in the same manner, same technique and the same scowl on her face. "Wrong. You are doing it all wrong."

"I am not." She huffed in protest.

"You are, you are cutting the pieces too big." He stepped behind her, placing his hand on her own on the knife he guided her, showing the correct way. Her skin so very, very warm and soft to the touch.

"That is how you cut it. Now move out of my chair before you ruin the whole thing."

"I can do it," She bit through gritted teeth, frustrated.

"Oh, I wasn't aware you were a potions master, Miss Granger. What academy did you graduate from? Le Portrait?" He mocked.

"Fine!" She threw the knife down, sending half the ingredients bouncing across the table. "Take your ingredients, 'Mister grand and amazing potions master'" She made air quotes with her fingers and stalked back to her marking.

He smirked. "Severus would have been fine but thank you for acknowledging how great I am."

"Shove it." She bit angrily, almost stabbing parchment with a quill as she marked angrily once again.

"Are you right there? I am sure Connor Davies doesn't want his parchment torn to shreds before he gets a chance to ready his mark."

"I'll tear shreds in a minute," She bit quietly under her breath to herself.

"I heard that, Miss Granger. Despite my failing body I am still fully aware and have my razor-sharp hearing."

Silence again between them. The only sound was quill sailing over the parchment and the knife chopping ingredients.

"Harry gave me something today." She totally changed the subject.

"Did he?" He wasn't the slightest bit interested.

"Apparently my parents left me the house I grew up in- "

"So Harry gave you nothing then, your parents gave it to you." He cut her off.

"Well no. Harry gave me the key to the house, which he has maintained since they passed. And a key to Gringotts, apparently, they have been depositing into it monthly for me."

"I know. Guilt money." He set the knife down again, steepling his fingers.

"What do you mean guilt money?" She set the parchment and quill down again, cocking her head inquisitively.

"Guilt money. The process in which money is given to compensate to try to quash the feeling of guilt ebbing through their mind daily. Draco donates to your guilt fund every month, on the dot. Says it made him feel a little better that he could somehow make it up to you should you ever come back. Harry and Ron felt equally guilty also. I daresay there is a princely sum in there."

"And you only chose to tell me this now? You know all this but couldn't tell me about Harry and Ginny's marriage? You are unbelievable." She huffed, admonished.

Well, you never asked about it. He shrugged picking the knife back up and continued to dice the ingredients.

 **A/N: I hope this tides you all over till the next time I update. I am currently going through trying to update each of my active stories, so if you read others, keep an eye out.**

 **-Aliasmel1**


	11. Chapter 11

"Harry?"! Hermione screeched, surprised as she stepped into the guest quarters late one night, where she was residing currently to see the man perched on the couch staring off into the roaring fire. The orange glow reflecting into his glasses, green eyes glazed over, deep in thought he jumped slightly at the same time she did. It had been a few days since Harry and Ron had both graced her with the presence, but this time he was clearly alone.

"Sorry, Hermione." He smiled, stretching his arms high above his head, his spine cracking melodically into place as he did so, his gaze raking quickly over the girl. She really did look so young still. It was still hard for his mind to process that not only was she back, but she was much, much younger than she should be.

"I…I wasn't expecting anyone to be here. I was just helping Snape mark some homework."

"How is Snape, anyway?" Harry asked stiffly, almost uninterested.

"Not well. I suspect he hasn't got long to live. Every time I spend time with him, he seems worse. Stiffer, more tired. I just wish there were something I could do to help." A forlorn sigh passed her lips. She hated not having an answer and she hated feeling useless. Although Snape wasn't the most pleasant person to be around, he had shown nothing but niceties towards her since her impromptu return and she was growing quite fond of the dour man.

"That… That's a shame," he bit out, running a shaky hand through his hair, making it obvious despite all the man had done for him over the years, he wasn't the least bit grateful. Typical.

Hermione stood stock still in the doorway. What did Harry want with her? The awkwardness between them made evident by the incredibly silent pause between the two. Hermione really wanted to be his friend still, but it seemed odd seeing Harry as a man and not as the boy she knew.

"I just needed to get away from home for a while," Harry finally broke the awkward silence again. "All she does is nag and bite my head off, honestly, Hermione, I am at my wits end with her."

Hermione recoiled a little and shifted uncomfortably on the spot before walking across the room and perching onto an armchair, watching the man silently for a few silent moments just taking every curve of his body and the muscles that rippled beneath the clothes he wore. She couldn't help but bite her bottom lip and flush a crimson red. He wasn't the awkward looking boy she once knew. Gone were the days of the somewhat scrawny young boy, long replaced with the fit man that sat before her. From the raven hair, piercing green eyes and chiselled jawline, he was easy to look at, she would admit that much.

"Harry. I'm probably not the person you should be talking to about this…I haven't seen Ginny in years. I have no concept of what it is like to be married."

He shrugged his broad shoulders roughly. "Just a listening ear is enough to satisfy me." He sighed sadly, resting his head in his hands for a moment, trying to form the words in his head.

"I love her. Don't get me wrong." He looked up to Hermione once again. "But things haven't been right between us in a few years. She isn't the person I thought she was."

"Aren't you about to have a baby with her, Harry?" Hermione couldn't wrap her head around this right now. She crossed her legs and leant back in the chair. She suspected she would be here for a long while.

"Yes. It was the baby that was meant to strengthen our relationship. Put the spark back in our lives but so far all it has done is pushed us further apart and driven a huge wedge between us. I am so thankful for what she is doing, giving me a child but I just wish that it weren't with her, you know?"

"Well, I doubt there is much you can do now. Isn't she literally weeks away from giving birth?"

Harry nodded, confirming.

"My only advice is to grin and bear it, you helped make the baby, the least you can do is hang around with its mother and try to work out your differences. You said you love her, so why not try to build on that relationship?"

How the hell was she playing relationship councillor right now?

"I do love her, but I'm not in love with her. There is a huge difference."

"There is. But you had to obviously have been in love with her to marry her, Harry."

He shook his head. "No. I thought I was in love with her, but I only loved her. Platonically, as if you would love a friend. I thought it would manifest into that head over heels butterflies in your stomach love, but it never did."

"Harry," Hermione whispered, not believing what she was hearing right now. "Why marry the poor girl then and waste years of her life. Why didn't you just marry someone you were truly in love with you daft moron."

"Because!" Harry raised his voice a few octaves, springing to his feet with vigour and striding the few steps to her.

"Because the person I was head over heels in love for left and didn't return. They didn't return for seven years."

Time stopped. Or at least Hermione was certain it did. And then it started again, glacially. Silence, there was nothing but the sound of silence. And then she could hear the blood rushing around her body from her elevated heart rate, things started moving faster, her vision began to focus again, and she realised she wasn't the only person in the room. She realised that this wasn't just a figment of her imagination. No. Harry Potter was standing before her, confessing his love for her and she was totally and utterly confused.

"Ha-Harry," She managed to splutter, her mouth now incredibly dry, she swallowed a few times trying to get her throat lubricated.

"Hermione." He took her hand, his warm flesh touching her own ever so gently.

"Harry," Hermione warned sternly, pursing her lips together. "You don't mean this. You don't know what you are saying. This is wrong and it is immoral. You are married! You have a child on the way, I am still technically in the eyes of society outside of our world a child," she cried, admonished at what was unravelling before her own eyes right now.

"That day you vanished. The day you never came back broke me. Broke my heart into a million shattered pieces. I loved you and I never had the balls to tell you. For years I beat myself up over it and I always said if I had the chance to tell you if I could have turned back time, or get the chance to face you again that I would tell you. And now, now that chance has been presented to me once again on all but a silver platter and I can't let it pass by again."

"Harry. We can't. You are married. I am too young for you. You aren't the same person I once knew and I am no longer the same person. You are living in an augmented version of reality. You don't love me and you never did love me."

"Hermione, Shut up," Harry whispered softly before leaning down and capturing her lips with his own.

She shuddered against him. This was wrong, this was immoral, this…this was amazing. Her eyes fluttered closed as she leant in towards his just a little more, to feel his body heat radiating against her own. Her cheeks flushed red and her mind ran at a million miles an hour, she couldn't process any thoughts right now, caught in the moment.

He pulled away and she whimpered softly, protesting before her logical train of thought came back with vigour.

"Harry. You better go," she suggested sternly.

He only nodded curtly and left the room without another word, leaving Hermione sitting there, tracing her lips gingerly with her fingers. Well, that was a revelation, she thought to herself.

Shit. Why couldn't her life be normal?

o-o-o-o-o-o

"Professor?" She questioned late one night when they were together in his lab. Her in her usual spot marking homework, only this time he had promoted her to marketing fourth-year parchments and he perched precariously stirring the potion that was her only lifeline to normalcy, or something close to that. What was normal anyway? She often thought to herself.

He stopped stirring and visibly cringed a little. He was used to this, he knew she was going to ask him something he probably wouldn't want to answer or couldn't answer or a mixture of the two.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" He sighed almost inaudibly. Although he would never admit that he liked having her around. She was somewhat decent company on the otherwise silent and lonely nights he would endure but she was hard work. Always asking him questions. But then he guessed that is what made Hermione Granger. The thirst for knowledge and the need to know. He liked that about her.

"Do you believe in the afterlife?" Her warm eyes hidden beneath a fluttering of lashes.

"In what way do you mean?"

"Heaven, hell and reincarnation. Those types of things." She shrugged.

"Where is this coming from?" A puzzled look crossed his face as her words bore down on him. He guessed he never actually thought about it.

"I've never given it much thought, Miss Granger. What brings you to ask me?" He began stirring once more, pulling his gaze from her own with force.

He heard the sliding of her stool and the padding of footsteps around the desk and beside him. Turning his head slightly to the right he saw her dragging a stool much too close to his vicinity. So close in fact, when she sat down, their knees were touching. He wanted to pull from her touch but at the same time, it was eerily comforting.

She sighed wearily and swallowed hard. He noticed that she looked worn down today. Upset.

"I've just been thinking about my parents… I've been thinking about a lot. I have a lot of spare time and sometimes my mind gets away from me. I'd like to think that somehow there is an afterlife and I may get to see them again one day. You know, let them know that after everything, I was alive. I am just upset that they died without closure." Her voice began to waver and crack as she spoke and he was sure he spotted a lone, glittering tear slide down her cheek that she quickly wiped away with the back of a hand masquerading as scratching an itch.

"I suppose there might be something. The ghosts hang around because they don't want to cross to the other side, so perhaps there is some afterlife. Whether it is heaven, hell or other I am unsure. I assume the afterlife and reincarnation was a well thought out story to make the masses feel a little better about dying. Everyone has to die at some stage, and it is a harrowing thought that one day you and sitting here living and breathing and the next you are in a pine box six feet under and little more than a fleeting thought in someone's mind." He shrugged his broad shoulders dismissively as his own mind began to run at a million miles an hour. It probably wouldn't be long, and he would be that fleeting thought in someone's mind.

"Are you scared of dying, sir?" She asked ever so softly and watched as he stiffened in his chair.

The truth was, he was fucking terrified. He was part of the masses that wanted to feel warm and fuzzy believing there was an afterlife for him to look forward too, but the reality was, the logical thinking part of him didn't believe it, not for one second and that was the cold, harsh reality.

"Not at all." He lied.

"Not even a little bit?"

"Not even the most minute amount. Not at all. In fact, I welcome it." He sneered harshly at her, causing her to recoil just a touch at the harsh display.

"Do…Do you want to die," She pushed. She didn't very much feel like going back to her quarters right now and would much rather converse, even if it was with Severus Snape.

"Yes." He lied again.

She paled a little in the dim light. "Why would you want to die?"

"Well. I have no family. I have nobody who cares for me and I have no friends. I daresay that once I was gone the world would just keep on spinning the exact way it did with or without me here."

"All of the professors here are your friends, are they not?"

He snorted with disdain. "Acquaintances at best."

"You have friends," She pushed a little more. Her knee brushing against his once again.

"None whatsoever." He waved a hand dismissively.

"Surely someone would miss you," She probed further.

"Maybe Peeves, it's the highlight of his year when he manages to pull a prank on me." He shrugged again.

She laid her hand on his knee featherlight and gently squeezed. "I would miss you." She smiled meekly at him. He looked at her hand on his knee and back to her. She wasn't sure if he was absolutely disgusted in the small show of affection, but he didn't say anything about it.

"You don't need to lie, Miss Granger." Her hand still resting upon his knee and he wasn't in a hurry to push it away. It was nice to feel the touch of another human.

"You can believe what you want. But I enjoy your company," She confessed, red-faced.

"You would have to be about the only person in the whole world."

"You are way too hard on yourself. You aren't the terrible, evil person you think you are. And you aren't the most loathed person like you let yourself believe."

"Thank you, Miss Granger, but you don't need to lie."

She squeezed his knee a little tighter. "I'm not lying."

 **A/N: Well. Shit. This wasn't meant to turn into a Harmony/ Snamione story. It just happened. I promise it will end up as Snamione as advertised…We have just taken a little detour.**


	12. Chapter 12

"What's this?" Hermione cocked her head to the side, interest etched into her face. The normal pile of homework to mark that was usually waiting for her was now replaced by vials, a stirring rod and a cauldron.

Severus looked up slowly as she walked in, blinking slowly. "I am unable to complete potions needed for the infirmary. I was hoping you would help me out and brew them for me."

"I assumed I have no say in this what so over?" She beamed. He trusted her enough to brew potions. This was the biggest honour that could be bestowed upon a person. This was up there with being knighted by the queen. Ok, not quite, but almost.

The other minor detail she noted, she was no longer stationed on the opposite side of the desk to him, instead, she had been brought to the left of him, like an equal. Equal, with Severus Snape. She schooled her features into a stoic expression. She couldn't let him know she was beside herself with this new revelation.

"A simple healing potion will do for tonight," he muttered gruffly. She noted that he was now the one doing the marking as the potion, her aging potion bubbled before him and it was at that moment that she realised Severus Snape's health must have been declining rapidly. Never would he have given her or anyone else the task of brewing a potion while he took to parchment with a quill.

"Is everything ok? She asked gently, side-eyeing him partially as she focused on tossing some ingredients into the cauldron.

"In what aspect, Miss Granger?" He focused on the parchment, throwing in a few large, red crosses for good measure. "Is everything ok with this homework? No. Is everything ok with my life? Probably not. Is everything ok in the day to day running of the school yes? You need to elaborate a little."

"Is everything ok with you, Professor? Are you doing alright?"

The quill hovered over parchment for a few long seconds, halted, a splotch of rouge ink dropped onto the parchment. "Nothing with me will ever be ok, Miss Granger. Nothing will ever be fine with me ever again. I am merely living every day knowing that one day, sooner rather than later I will be but a distant memory to everyone. No longer will I get to darken the doorway of a classroom or instil fear in students. No longer will I get to stalk the halls as I once did looking for troublemakers and no longer will you be able to sit by my side, asking me how I am."

The words resonated loudly with her. He wasn't well at all and just as she had expected, he was getting worse.

"Is there anything I can do. To help, I mean."

"Only what you are already doing, Miss Granger. Nothing and nobody can save me from the fate that I am sailing towards on a one-way track."

"Well if you need anything…" She trailed off, stirring the ingredients in the Cauldron, the two sitting in silence for a chunk of time, the old sound was the pewter stirring rod clicking the sides of the Cauldron gently and the quill scrawling harshly over the parchment.

"He's married, you know, yeah?" Severus's voice roused her from her concentration. His low baritone drawl almost causing her to drop the stirring rod onto the ground.

"Who's married?" She asked, confused.

"Harry."

"I…I know…" she stuttered, trailing off. "Thanks for the update."

She was confused. Where was this all coming from?

"I saw him leaving your quarters the other day, that's all." He shrugged.

"And you assume instantly something is going on between us?" She snapped.

"I don't have to assume anything. I can tell by the way you are acting all defensive that you are either guilty or you want something to happen." He shrugged.

"And what business is it of yours, Professor?" Her voice icy cold as she side-eyed him with disdain.

His lithe, frail shoulders came up into a shrug. "None. Other than I thought I would advise you that it probably isn't the best idea to be involved with a married man, especially one with a baby due soon. If his wife found out I daresay I will be making this potion in vain because you won't be around to consume it," He added darkly.

"He kissed me!" She protested. Slamming an open palm on the wooden desk with a resounding thud.

He smirked to himself. He knew there was something going on there. "And did you kiss him back?"

"So what if I did? He kissed me first."

"It means a lot, actually. If you kissed him back it means you wanted it just as much as he did."

"I don't want anything. I just want to wake up and find this all to be a dream."

"You and I both," He muttered under his breath. "I'm just warning you, that's all." He shrugged again.

"Th-ank you… I think." She was really unsure and confused right now. "Why are we even having this conversation?"

"Because. I don't want my work to be in vain," He reiterated. "All of the cutting, stirring, and just about offering a sacrifice to the gods above to get this potion right. The last thing I need is you to be killed by the hands of his wife."

"I won't." She sniffed.

"If you say so."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"She's a redhead. They are maniacal when provoked. You think she would just sit idly by while a girl seven years her junior was running around with her husband. With the father to her child? How would you feel if the situation were reversed?"

"I wouldn't let it get to that for it to have to be reversed. I would have seen he was unhappy and cut him loose for his own benefit."

"The world doesn't work that easily, Hermione!" He raised his voice a few octaves, instantly regretting his decision to call her by her first name. There went the formality right out the fucking window.

"Yes, it does, _Severus!_ " She raised her voice to match his own. Making a point to call him by his first name, totally breaking the formalities now. "It is that simple. If you don't like something you change the situation."

"It. Not. That. Easy." He punctuated every word as he spoke.

Hermione stood up, flinging the stool across the room as she did so. "Yes, it is. If you aren't happy, do something about it."

He stood up slowly, a good head and shoulders above her, he closed the gap between them, on a few inches separated them. "Sometimes in life, you can't see that someone is unhappy. Sometimes you want your own happiness to reign supreme above others and will cling onto a sinking ship, clutching on for dear life not wanting to let go."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Interpret it however you want, Hermione. All I am saying is don't go messing with another person's happiness for your own self-gain," he warned, sternly.

"Since when have you worried about other people?" She counted with a lift of a brow.

"Since forever. But nobody ever bothered to notice," His voice almost eerie.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly, empty onyx eyes searching warm brown ones. Softly and gently he cupped her chin with his frail hand. "Don't make mistakes as I did. Don't ruin another's happiness to create your own. Don't end up like me seeking redemption in your dying days, trying to right wrongs, scared out of your fucking mind that you are going to not be riding the bus to hell but fucking driving it," his voice cracked, turning his head away from her he dropped his hand and turned on his heel.

"Are you ok?" Utmost sincerity in her tone.

He waved a hand, not wanting to look at her. "Go, I will finish up."  
She stood, rooted to the spot, mouth opened and closing as she searched for the words to say, but she came up empty-handed. Turning, she left the room quietly leaving Severus Snape alone with his thoughts.

 **A/N: I felt the urge to write another chapter for this story. I hope you all like it. Thank you for all of the reviews and follows! It really does mean the world to me.**


	13. Chapter 13

Hermione hadn't been down to see Severus in a few days, she thought it was best that way. He had changed, he was different, to say the least. Gone were the days of the brooding, dark and calculating Potion's Master that sent students scurrying with a quirk of a brow.

She was worried for him and her heart felt heavy and sad that he was obviously very troubled by what was happening to him, but what could she do?

She was seventeen years old, stuck in an awkward predicament, one of her best friends was making it quite well known that he desired her despite being married and she didn't know her place in the world. She hardly knew what to do or how to fix this situation.

She sat by the lake, the sun dipping below the horizon as the sultry kiss of twilight beckoned. Hugging knee's to chest, she sighed forlornly. She really was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Unable to do something, anything, despite the fact she wanted nothing more than to help.

His words had pressed hard on her, warning her sternly not to destroy another's happiness for her own gain, but at the same time, it took two to tango. If Harry wanted this, and she equally wanted it, was it really that wrong? Sure, Ginny might have her heart broken for the interim, but in the long run, it would be for the better.

At the same time, she wondered if she really did like Harry, or if the chiselled features and the muscles rippling beneath his clothes were what she really liked. She was a young girl full of hormones after all and to have that dangling right within her reach was torturous.

She didn't know what to do. She wanted to cling onto the affection that Harry had afforded her, she wanted to claw and hold onto him. The familiarity, the warmness, the feeling of having someone, having something left in her life was all she wanted. She didn't want to be cold and alone and in this big, wide world. If she had Harry, at least she still had something.

The very soft, slow and faint footsteps of a person looming behind her caused her to pull herself from her thoughts. Whipping around she saw Severus was heading her way and she wondered what he wanted or needed.

He slowly but steadily ambled up beside her and sat down at the edge of the lake in silence. He watched as the last of the yellow sky vanished and gave way to the darkened night sky. They both watched as the giant squid frolicked and swam under the light of the kiss of the silver moon.

"You haven't been around lately," His voice a soft. A ghostly whisper whipping past her ears almost undetected.

"I thought you might have needed time to gather your thoughts. Some time alone can be the best thing to heal the soul."

He chuckled sadly. "Nothing can heal this soul, Hermione. I am beyond healing, beyond redemption and beyond help."

"So you are just going to give up and let this take its course?"

"I don't see I have many choices. I have exhausted all avenues and all avenues have been explored. The only thing I can do is bide my time and wait for this to consume me fully and wholly until I am gone. And then, maybe on that day, the world will become a better place."

"Please." She turned to him, tears filling her eyes. "Please don't say something like that. You are a great man."

"Define great for me? Great at what? Being a total ass? Great at potions…" He trailed off, a pained smile on his lips.

Silence. She didn't know what to say.

Eventually, she found the words, she formed them in her head, and she spat them out. "How long do you think you have?"

He shrugged. "Months at most. I can manage the few classes I have a day now, but eventually, I will be confined to the bed, a mere burden upon the poor wretches who have to care for me until such a time my body takes its last breath and I pass through to the other side."

"Is there anything I can do? Anything at all to help?"

"You can point your wand at me and end it all when I get to the stage where I can no longer care for myself. You have the power to end it all for me."

Her mouth opened and closed unable to form the words she needed. "I…I… No." Were the only words she managed to process.

Silence again. She tried to process his request, but it was just so outside of the realm of normalcy she couldn't wrap her head around it. She wasn't a murderer. She wouldn't be the accessory for him to end his life. Not now, not ever.

"You know, my only regret I would probably die with is that the only person I ever really loved never loved me back. To die not feeling the sweet love that was reciprocated is probably the hardest thing. But at the same time, I know good things happen to good people and I am not a good person so expect only bad things to befall me."

"You aren't a bad person, Severus." She leant slowly sideways and rested her head on his shoulder in a small show of affection. He was a dying man and the least she could do was show him some compassion, some affection. The least she could do was show him that despite what he thought, someone cared. "You are just a person who did bad things, there is a difference."

He stiffened as her head met his bony shoulder. He daren't breath or move for he didn't want the warmth of her body or the touch of her skin to stop right now.

"I am a terrible person," he muttered gruffly, grazing his cheek softly against her curls, inhaling a deep breath.

"Again. You are not."

His hand tangled in his brown curls gently. The soft silken locks welcoming to his touch as he ruffled them gently. This was wrong, to be sitting here with a girl of her junior right now, enjoying her touch.

"Severus?" She asked groggily, almost as if she was on the verge of falling asleep as his gentle touch continued to caress her head.

"Yes?"

"Why me? Why have you chosen to tell me all of this? To tell me everything?"

He thought for a moment, his hand never once halting in her hair. "Because you are the only person that has ever shown that they care."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Hermione couldn't help but smile, knowing she had somehow made Severus' Snape's last few months different. To make him feel as if he had a friend and a shoulder to proverbially cry on.

Her mind a million miles away, she screamed as a hand shot out from an alcove and pulled her in quickly. A hot, hard body pressed hard against hers. Even in the dim light, she knew it was Harry.

"Harry!" she screeched critically, frowning. "You can't be doing that to people."

"I don't want anyone to see me here, but I needed to see you."

She stiffened at this statement, eyes falling to the ground. "Harry," She warned sternly. "This is a terrible idea! You are married. I am seventeen years old. There is a baby coming that you need to be a father to. Anything that you loved about me is irrelevant now you are a grown man."

"Hardly. If anything, I feel stronger about the feelings I have for you now more than ever before."

"Think of Ginny. Think of your child." She countered, pursing her lips together.

"Or, I could think of you in my life as my wife instead, exactly here you should have been should none of this happened."

"You just want to throw away years of marriage for feelings you have harboured for years and never got to act on. What happens when you toss it all away and you end up working out that I am no better to be around than Ginny. What happens when the infatuation wears off and you are stuck in the same, stale relationship as before? What then? Do you then chase after someone else in a hope of igniting that spark that has left?" She cried in frustration.

"You talk too much, Hermione." He muttered, ghosting his lips against her own, hot breath mingling together.

Shit, where was she going with this?

"This is im-" She was cut off abruptly as his lips crashed onto hers in a show of want and need. The argument she had formed in her head had all but gone by the wayside as she kissed him back with as much want and need as he afforded her.

A strong, muscular arm snaked around and waist and dragged her closer against him. His body heat radiating off her almost as intensely as the kiss.

She wanted to pull away, but the kiss consumed her. His touch was intoxicating. She melted against him, he propped her up easily as he held her against his body, deepening the kiss. His tongue flicked against her lower lip seeking access to her wet mouth; she obliged without even as much as an ounce of hesitation.

He moved a hand to her ass, pulling her in so close she could feel his desire for her pressing hard against her hip.

She groaned against his lips. She had never had sex before but something inside of her had awoken and the desire was incomprehensible. The hot, wet heat between her legs taking over any rational thinking.

"Harry," she moaned, breathless. Pressing herself harder against him.

He swiped needily at the pants she wore, tugging them down to the ground she stepped out of them hastily. He hoisted her up, he back pressing hard against the stone wall, legs wrapping around his waist tightly, as if he were the lifeblood she needed to survive.

Lips swollen with kisses he began to nip playfully at her neck, freeing his rock-hard cock from its confines. The head nudging softly at her hot, wet core.

"This might hurt." He groaned against her neck.

She only nodded in response, bracing herself.

"Holy fucking shit you are so tight," He groaned. Willing himself not come right there.

Burying her head in the nape of his neck he slowly thrust into her, the tightness of her hot, wet centre consuming him beyond measure. Shit fuck she felt like nothing he had ever fucked before.

"Oh my god," he breathed huskily. The thrusting slowly continued as she relaxed against him somewhat. The full feeling, she felt had been unpleasant at first, but she was adjusting.

She felt weird. A mix of lust, mingling together with guilt topped off with a hint of euphoria. Her breathing hitched in her throat and her legs began to tremble around him painfully as a wave of pleasure erupted from her hot, tight core.

Harry held onto her tighter as his breath got heavier and laboured and he came into her quickly with a loud, appreciative groan.

Gently he lowered her to the ground, a hot, sticky mess slowly began to run down her legs as she dressed quickly.

She hated herself right now. She felt terrible that she had allowed herself to be consumed by lust. She felt terrible that she had encouraged Harry and allowed him to do this while he had a pregnant wife at home. But another part of her felt alive, a part of her felt the best she had in a very, very long time.

 **A/N: Ok. I have had a few messages asking if various stories of mine would be HEA (Happily Ever After) I can confirm this one will be, so those who have invested time into thirteen chapters needn't worry that their time has been wasted.**

 **I wasn't going to let Harry and Hermione fornicate, but it just happened. It needed to happen to progress the plot along in the direction I needed it to head in. I hope you all liked this chapter! A reward for all of the reviews I received last night after posting the last chapter.**

 **-Aliasmel1**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Wow. I wasn't expecting as much of a backlash as I received for the previous chapter. Many of you expressed your disgust and distaste for what had happened, while others loved the Harmony pairing. I even had quite a bit of hate mail for it, which honestly doesn't bother me, water off a ducks back. I am a big girl and criticism is taken on board.**

 **What really got to me were the people who said they were no longer reading my story because of one chapter, a chapter that I felt needed to happen to progress the story along. I hope you can all forgive me after you read this chapter. I wasn't going to update this story so soon again, but I felt I owed it to everyone not to leave them hanging.**

 **-Aliasmel1**

"Hermione? Hermione? Hello? For Merlin sake. Hermione?" Severus repeated himself, the girl sitting two feet away from him lost so deep in her own thoughts, she didn't even hear him.

"Hmm what? Yes?" She eventually snapped from her revere, turning slightly to look at him.

"What in the world has gotten you so consumed? You've been distant and jumpy ever since you walked in here."

"No..Nothing." She lied right to his face. The truth was, she couldn't get off her mind what she had done with Harry. Guilt ebbed and flowed through every fibre of her being and it gnawed at her psyche. She wanted to vomit, she wanted to go back in time and stop it from happening. She wanted to go bash on the door of Ginny Weasley and beg her for forgiveness but at the same time, she couldn't stop playing over and over in her head what had happened. His touch, the lingering kiss upon her lips that had made her head spin.

"It doesn't seem like nothing." He looked at her with a suspicious glint twinkling deep in his eye.

"It's… It's nothing."

"You don't sound very convincing." He grabbed a vial from the desk and began to gently ladle some of Hermione's potion into it.

"That's not finished yet, is it?" She asked, eyes wide in question.

"No. Not quite. It is in the de-aging stage. Highly volatile in this form but keeps for years. There is plenty here to keep on hand should the need for it ever arises. You are another week or so off, it needs to simmer over a gentle heat with a few more ingredients added before it is of any use to you."

"Oh. Ok." She began stirring the bruise salve he had tasked her with this evening which she was making short work of.

"You can tell me what is wrong with you, you know, yeah?" He pushed. Something was completely off with the girl tonight. It wasn't like her not to be asking a million questions or talking ten miles a minute. His suspicion was growing ten-fold the more she tried to steer him away from the subject.

"It's really nothing." She huffed, flicking her mass of curls over her shoulder.

"You can try to convince me all you like, but I know you are lying, Hermione. Now, we can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way."

"Or, we can do this neither way and you can mind your own business," She huffed.

"That wasn't an option. Now we can sit here, and you can keep telling me there is nothing slowly eating away at you, or you can tell me and get it all off of your chest. Now I am going to take a stab in the dark here and assume that a certain issue with one Harry Potter is eating you up."

"I'm not telling you."

"So I am right?"

"Maybe." She shrugged.

"What did I tell you about destroying another's happiness for your own?" He raised his voice a few octaves.

"It wasn't my fault!" She protested, slapping a hand on the hard wooden table.

"Oh, what, your lips just happened to fall onto his?"

She shifted uncomfortably in her chair, not wanting to elaborate any further on the subject at hand.

"It was more than that, wasn't it?" His tone disapproving.

She nodded once, very slowly, confirming.

"For fuck sake Hermione. Why!?"

"It just happened," She muttered meekly, feeling his harsh gaze upon her.

He scrubbed an open palm across his face in utter frustration. "You really don't understand, do you? I don't expect you to get it, you are a teenager meddling in the affairs of adults. You don't just waltz in and sleep with the husband of a woman, especially a pregnant woman!"

"But Harry, He loves me," she protested.

"He doesn't love you," he spat venomously. "He is telling you what you want to hear so you will drop your panties and let him fuck you at an opportune moment, Hermione. Trust me, I am a male, I was young once, I know how we function."

"Not Harry." She folded her arms across her chest defiantly.

"Yes, Harry. Especially Harry. Do you think you are the first young girl he has proclaimed his love to while he was married to Ginevra? Do you honestly think you are the only girl he has whispered sweet nothings into the ear of? He doesn't love you; he is telling you what you want to hear. This isn't the first time he has done this! Last time it was with another girl the same age as you but just two years ago. It was splashed all over the front page of the daily prophet when it was exposed, and you know what happened? He went crawling back to his wife and they carried on like nothing had happened because she loves him that much. Imagine loving someone so much that you are willing to overlook their adulterous ways. So, don't think you are special and don't think will reign supreme because at the first hint of trouble he will drop you like a ten-tonne weight and scurry back to Ginevra and beg for her forgiveness."

"I don't believe you!" She exclaimed, a malicious glint in her eye.

"Believe me, don't believe, I don't care honestly. But don't go feeling like you are special to him, and don't go thinking that you are going to waltz in and take the Potter name."

"Stop lying, please," she begged.

"I'm not lying. I am sure I would be able to source those issues of the paper quite easily if need be."

He slowly ambled to his feet and closed the small gap between them. She looked to him; soft, warm eyes filled with the tears of regret mingled with sadness. Cupping her chin in his cold, pale hand he forced her to look up at him.

"You have an over-romanticized vision in your head that he has planted there. Do you think he is the only man in the world who could make you feel like that? You think he is the only one who could make you so weak at the knee's as a wave of euphoria washes over you that you can't even think straight?" He sniffed indignantly, tearing his gaze from her own, still cupping her chin. Just about any male who knows his way around the female body could make you feel the same things that he made you feel, so don't think that he is special, or he has amazing abilities." Anger flashed quickly across his face. If he ever saw Potter he would give him a piece of his mind.

"Do you honestly think, Hermione, that he would leave his wife for you? He is a predator, Hermione. He is preying on a young, impressionable girl who has lost everything and everyone in her life and is confused. I don't blame you for one second for what has happened, but I do blame him. He is old enough to know better."

He leant down looking her square in the eye, holding her gaze. "Now, tell me. Were you at least smart enough to use some form of contraception, magical or otherwise."

She managed to gently shake her head no in his grip.

"Stupid girl," He spat, releasing the grip on her chin forcefully and pulling himself up to full height. "Do you want to destroy your life before you have even had a chance to live it? He is more than happy to fuck you behind the back of his pregnant wife, that alone should be enough to show you his true character. If he does it to her, do you think he would not do the same to you? A leopard never changes it's spots, no matter how much you want it to."

He strode painfully across the room to a small box, flipping the lid open with force he rummaged around, the clinking of glass vials chiming together rhythmically as he finally found what he wanted.

"Drink this." He thrust the purple potion towards her as he walked back across the room.  
Her fingers gently grazed over the glass vial smoothly.

"What is it?"

"Poison," he bit sarcastically. "It's a contraceptive potion, I can only hope I have given it to you in time."

"You just have this sitting around?" she eyed him suspiciously.

"We are literally sitting in the middle of a school full of teenagers, hormones running rampant through their bodies. The handing out of contraceptive potions are more common than not around here, Hermione. Although usually I am bypassed as the source who hands them out and they go straight to Poppy who gives them a lecture about safe sex."

"Why do you care so much?" Her voice was soft as she drank the potion, wincing at the disgusting taste of it.

"Because, Hermione Granger, despite what you may think about me, I actually think you are a decent human being who doesn't deserve to be fucked around with by a man who knows better. I know you are probably sitting there thinking I am old, and you won't take my advice but that is more than enough reason to take it."

He sat back down in his seat in front of the cauldron, watching as the contents gently simmered over the warm fire lit beneath it.

"But he said he loved me!"

"You aren't listening. He said it because he wants to get into your pants!" He banged closed fists hard on the table. It was at that moment he regretted his choice but had no time to react.

Black smoke filled the room, the cauldron with the potion in it exploded in spectacular style, pieces of cauldron flying across the room causing Hermione to gasp and duck under the table. The thick, sticky and warm potion clung to his face and robes.

"Shit. Shit. No. We need to get you to a shower!" Hermione exclaimed as she slid an arm behind his back and hoisted him to his feet.

"I should have known better," he muttered to himself. He knew better than to go slamming fists into tables that help volatile potions.

"Through that door, to the left," he barked out to Hermione who guided him to his shower.

She turned the water on hastily and pushed him under, holding him up as he legs shook, unable to hold his own weight.

She was getting equally as wet, supporting him in the shower but she didn't care. She could change into dry clothes later.

The warm water washed over the two of them. His legs stopped shaking and he took more of his own weight. His long, black hair clung to his face, wet, woollen robes weighing him down.

"Thank you." He gently pushed her sopping curls from her eyes affectionately only to see her face contort into disbelief and uncertainty.

"Severus? She asked, cocking her head to the side. "Severus, what happened?"

He raised a brow. She had lost it.

"Go look in the mirror," She demanded.

He stepped from the shower, wet robes tugging at his skin as he walked a few steps across the bathroom. Wiping the steam off of the mirror with the back of his hand he stared at the reflection. That wasn't him. Well, it was, but it wasn't what he was supposed to look like. He looked so… well. So young.

Reaching a hand up he touched his face gingerly. It certainly was him, although it was almost as if he were looking fifteen years into the past.

Hermione shut the shower off and got out, shivering against her wet clothes in the cold air of the castle.

He slowly and gently unravelled the bandage around his neck, the two gasping in awe. There wasn't a trace of the bite left from Nagini.

"What happened?"

"I…I think you saved my life, Hermione Granger."

"Me?"

"If you hadn't have come back when you did, there would have been no need for me to brew the potion. If I hadn't had been annoyed by you, I wouldn't have made the cauldron explode. I literally owe my life to you."

She flushed a crimson red, shivering, freezing. "You look so young. So healthy."

"I could almost kiss you, Hermione Granger." And without even a second thought, without even as much as a warning, he stepped forward, leant down and placed a chaste kiss upon her lips. It was just a soft passing of lips, gentle and caressing. He stopped himself deepening the kiss like he wanted to. He would be no better than Harry Potter if he went down that route. Let he who casts the first stone be free from sin. He couldn't very well do exactly what he had condemned Harry Potter for.

She stiffened against his touch, eyes widened, unsure how to process what had happened. "You're welcome, I think."


	15. Chapter 15

Hermione shivered against the cool air of the bathroom, clothes sopping wet and clinging to her lithe frame skin-tight, the once warm water that sprayed welcoming over her body now ice-cold.

"I… What happened?" Hermione stuttered out as she closed the gap between them and slowly reached out a soft hand to brush against his cheek in disbelief. Her pale hand, soft hand almost looked sun-kissed against his own flesh.

Gone were the heavy lines in his face and the sunken eyes. Gone was the pain that usually swam in the depths of his eyes, replaced by peace, she thought. His skin was smoother, tighter and clearer. He stood taller and stronger than he had before.

He closed his eyes at the gentle touch of her hand over his face, eyes closing as he relished in the touch of another person so warm and tender. It had been many a year since he has felt the tender touch of someone so genuine and so caring.

He shook his head sending those thoughts right to the back of his mind. He would be no better than Harry fucking Potter if he enjoyed this and tried anything. She was a child. She IS a child he kept chanting over and over in his mind.

Taking a step back from her he turned on his heel and met his younger self in the mirror. Mouth agape as he ghosted his large hands over his face and staring back at him was a man, he remembered from a decade ago. His skin was different, the harsh lines in his face had softened exponentially. He also noted the sharp, harsh stabbing pain that would emanate from the wound hiding behind layers of bandages on his neck no longer annoyed him. In fact, he felt…amazing. So amazing he almost forgot he was standing in his bathroom in sopping wet robes adjacent to Hermione Granger in an equally uncomfortable position, only she was shaking and her teeth were starting to chatter.

"Let me fix you up before you catch your death." He tutted, pulling his wet wand from his equally wet robes, facing her and waving it gently in her direction. Once satisfied that she was dry, albeit still freezing cold, he dried himself off and indicated for her to follow him.

She followed him down a short hall into his sitting room. She had never been here before and it looked just as she had imagined. Small, quaint and almost unwelcoming but the fire the roared to life as soon they entered looked more than welcoming.

Shivering against her now dry clothes, icy skin breaking out in Goosebumps soon soothed and happy once she was sitting close by the fire in a single armchair, he took up the one beside her. The orange glow bouncing playful shadows off the stone walls in the darkened room.

"I feel like there is so much we need to work out. So much that needs to be explained."

"I agree," She whispered softly although her mind was a million miles away as she watched the flames licking the now charred logs hungrily. "Something like this just doesn't happen. It's impossible, it defies logic."

"You say it defies logic like you aren't sitting in the belly of a magically enchanted castle surrounded by peers who can perform magic." Slowly, bony fingers reached up feverishly at the cotton bandages on his neck finding the end he gently unwound it around and around until his neck was being nipped by the warmth of the fire. Palm smoothed over the flesh on the nape of his neck, the once seeping, magical wound that would never heal was but a distant memory like yesterday.

"Yes, but that's logical…" She trailed off.

"What? People being gifted with mind-boggling magic abilities is logical to you? To the greater population, it isn't logical at all, it is utterly terrifying and bewildering."

"I suppose you have a point but still. What are the odds that a potion you happened to be brewing for me would just explode and magically heal you after you had already scoured every corner, every nook and cranny and left no stone unturned."

"Well? The odds are probably low considering that I never tried a de-aging potion and it might have been the perfect mix and blend of ingredients to just fix what ailed me. Just because it doesn't seem logical to you, doesn't mean that it can't work."

She shrugged her shoulders high. "Whatever works, I guess."

Hermione, now sufficiently warmed, stood and closed the gap between them. Placing a hand under his chin she angled his head up just enough so she could inspect his neck. The thin line between student and teacher were slowly blurring into the realm of friendship perhaps? Their eyes met and locked, neither saying a word to the other. His skin flushed under the soft touch of her featherlight fingertips as they twitched gently on his skin.

She held his gaze for longer than should have been comfortable but neither minded. The situation wasn't uncomfortable in the least.

She licked her lips absentmindedly before flushing red and tearing her gaze from his own and he wondered what had gone through her mind for such a reaction like that.

Running a hand over his neck ever so gently she inspected it thoughtfully. Not even a mark. Interesting.

"In what way do you think the de-aging potion has worked?" Her voice low in her throat as her fingertips swiped over the sensitive skin on the nape of his neck before she dropped his chin and sat back down.

"Hard to say without further testing. One possibility is the perfect mixture of ingredients brewed at just the right temperature was the cure-all to fight the magic coursing through my veins. Another idea is that when it spilled on me and my physical appearance rewound, the entire age of my body went back to when I was twenty-something and in good health."

"So basically your body has time travelled to the past while remaining in the present?" She said while wiping away a stray curl that was irritating her nose.

"Precisely. But without further testing, we may never know. Although an aging, or a de-aging potion in this case generally ages the person's appearance as I think I have mentioned before, rather than their mental capacity and maturity. If it had have worked in such a way that my body reverted to when I was in my twenties, I suspect my mind would have been altered too and I would be none the wiser on who you were so I don't think that is the case."

"So you are thinking it was an ingredient or ingredients in the potion that cured you?" Long eyelashes fluttering as she tapped her bottom lip in deep thought.

"Yes," He confirmed. "But without breaking down every ingredient and every method I have used thus far it would be almost impossible to pinpoint without years of research. I know there are others out there with similar ailments as mine, but we can't just go around de-aging everyone. The ingredients would need to be extracted and made into their own potion."

"Can't you do that?"

"I could. But not on a large scale, it would take years. However, if the ministry wanted to delve further into it, they could, and they could quite easily and what would take me years might only take them months. But, do I want to go to the ministry with this and be subject to poking, prodding and general inconvenience? Probably not, honestly." He shrugged.

"Don't you want to help other people?"

A quick loud exhale through his nose told Hermione that no, he didn't want to help other people.

"Not particularly."

"You are helping me," she bit, tightening her jaw.

"You are different. You are intelligent and could change the world if you put your mind to it, Hermione. Other people, what are they? A burden on the world living their mediocre life working their hands to the bone for little gain and contributing nothing to society?"

"You can't tar everyone with that blanket statement, Severus. Just because they are nobodies to you, doesn't mean they don't have family who loves them dearly and want to spend many more years together." She folded her arms tightly across her chest and jutted her chin out, a wildfire sparked in her eyes.

"And what makes them so special?" Voice raised a few octaves. "What makes them so special that they get to spend the rest of their lives with their families and people like you and I get dealt the unfortunate hands all of our lives?" A closed fist slammed on the arm of the chair he was sitting in.

"Just because you are angry and bitter in life that everything and everyone you ever loved was taken away from you doesn't mean other people don't deserve happiness, Severus. Wishing bitterness and heartache on others just because it is all you have ever felt in life is a horrible way to think and certainly won't win you any friends," A soft anger bubbled to the surface, the fire in her eyes igniting just a little more.

"I don't need friends." Long slender fingers digging into the leather of the armchair with vigour.

"Everyone needs a friend," She said pointedly, looking at him under a heavy gaze.

"Not me." He sniffed indignantly at her.

"I'm your friend." Simple words hit his ear ever so softly and he didn't know how to respond. He hadn't heard those words uttered since Lily Potter had spoken them to him. He sat stiffly in the chair as silence shrouded them in its eerie comfort. How did one react to something like that? Especially in this situation. What did someone say in this situation? A girl once thought dead now sitting with you in your sitting room proclaiming she is your friend not even an hour after the potion you were brewing for her cured you of an insidious illness that had you on a one-way track to death.

"T..Thank you? I think…" Uncertainty tangled deep in his voice as an almost confused innocence crossed his father.

She sighed heavily. "I best be off, it's getting late." Stretching hands high above her head, her shirt rode up to expose the pristine, smooth flesh of her stomach. Black obsidian orbs focused on the flesh as his tongue swiped at his lips absentmindedly. He shook his head hard pulling himself from his stupor and stood up to show her out.

"Yes. I suppose so. We can continue brewing the potion that I saved tomorrow."

She only nodded, following him to the door he held it open and she walked out. He watched as she disappeared down the hall before softly shutting the door. Well, fuck. He really knew how to fuck things up with everyone that crossed his path.


	16. Chapter 16

Hermione hadn't seen Severus for a week after her potion had exploded in spectacular fashion all over him. In fact, nobody had seen him. He hadn't been to his classes all week and he was nowhere to be seen at the few meals she had decided to take at the Gryffindor table instead of being cooped up alone. And she was worried. She had even gone as far as to ask Draco if he had seen Severus, and Draco wasn't her favourite person right now. Or ever, probably.

Was he hiding because he was worried what people would say or think of the abrupt reversal of his years, or was he annoyed and upset with her because she told him that she viewed him as a friend? Or, was it something to do with the fact they were stepping over the line of a strict student and teach relationship and the lines were blurring into the realm of friendship? Is that what really bothered him?

She had strayed to his chambers a few times over the past week, her knocks she laid upon the door rang out in a gentle echo to no avail, he never answered. She was certain he was there. She almost thought she saw a shadow under the door and heard a soft, sad sigh come from the other side of the thick, wooden door but she couldn't be certain. The shadow was much too faint and the sigh almost like a breath of air flying by.

Harry hadn't been around either, not that she really wanted to see him, she supposed. Severus's words still rang true in her mind. About what he had done and what he was doing. It was true that perhaps his moral compass wasn't calibrated quite right if he were lusting over a teenage girl when his wife was at home, moments away from giving birth to his first child. No, that was pretty low for anybody, especially Harry. He knew what it was like to grow up with no parents so to traipse around sleeping with teenage girls, no matter the circumstance was probably one of the lowest things a person could do.

He didn't love her. Well, he possibly could be in love with the thought of the Hermione he once knew. But now, now it was a total contrast to before and there was no way, no how that a relationship with Harry would ever work. Not only that, but what would all the Weasleys think of her?! She would just be known as the home-wrecking harlot who skipped gleefully along and ripped Ginny's world from beneath her like a rug.

Anyway, she would try to push what happened with her and Harry to the back of her mind, deep down where hopefully, it never reared its ugly head again. It should have never happened, but she wanted to feel like she belonged. She needed the familiarity that came with him and being so close to someone in such an intimate way. Could they really blame her though? She had just been told her parents were dead, her friends were all married and expecting children and the only person that had shown any real niceties to her was Severus Snape. So, when Harry showed up and it happened…It just felt natural.

But now that little mistake in her life was over, she was ready to move ahead with her life. Happy that a mishap with her potion could cure Severus by accident but ready to move on with the potion herself, get out of this castle and work out what she was going to do for the rest of her life.

She didn't have to work if she didn't want to, the money in the vault at Gringott's was more than certain of that. But a life of leisure probably wasn't what she wanted either. She had an unquenched thirst for knowledge and an insatiable hunger to make the world a better place, even if it were just a tiny glimmer of hope in a large sea of hopelessness.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

She was knocking again. He knew it was her, he knew the curves of her shadow beneath the door and the faint knocking her hand made upon the hard timber door. But he didn't answer. He couldn't bring himself to face the world right now, not even Hermione.

He sighed softly as her shadow turned and retreated, stopping momentarily he thought that perhaps she had heard him. She moved on again as did he. Away from the door, he made his way to the bathroom where he had spent the majority of the last week standing at the basin, looking up in the cruel, evil and calculating eyes of Severus Snape from years gone by and he couldn't handle it.

He liked not being ill or in pain, but it killed him to stare in the face of evil. The face of a man who had done unquestionable things. The face of a wretch, a low-life murderer worth nothing. Hermione didn't deserve to see him at his worst.

The constant pain of the man he once was ate at him every time he looked into that mirror. At least when he was sick and he was dying he was not the man who had killed, maimed, raped and tortured, no. He was the man who karma had caught up to and held him in its claws like a bear taking down its prey. He deserved to die a slow and painful death for all the atrocities he had committed.

Growling low in his throat he studied his reflection once more. Long onyx hair curtained pale white, skin, black, evil eyes stared back at him. Tilted his head backwards and to the left, he continued to study himself. His jawline was visible, skin smooth and soft.

Angrily he raised a fist to the mirror and with all his might, he punched it. The glass shards raining down like a baptism of fire as crimson blood trickled slowly from his knuckles. The pain, he deserved that. He punched the mirror again, the once remaining glass now lay on the cold floor in a thousand glittering pieces.

The intense stinging in his hands and the blood now ran freely from his knuckles but he ignored them. Clutching the edge of the basic with two hands, head hung low enough that his hair dangled in his eyes. He needed to get a grip on reality and himself again. He needed to complete the potion for Hermione, true to his word. He was always a man of his word.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Hermione gently pushed the door open to her rooms and softly padded over to the couch, slumping down she wondered what she would do about Severus. After all, it was probably her fault he was hiding away from the world.

A shadow caught her interest out of the corner of her eye. Tilting her head just so, she couldn't believe it. Eyes fluttered closed slowly and opened again, hoping she was just dreaming… She wasn't.

"What are you doing here, Harry?" Her tone bored as she side-eyed the man who was standing in her small kitchen.

"I needed to get away. The screaming, the crying!" He exclaimed feverishly, running a hand through stark, raven hair.

"Oh. Your child arrived? Congratulations," a bitter undertone tangled in her voice.

"Well, yes. But that screaming and the crying is just from Ginny. I was about to Crucio myself with my own wand…It would have been less painful honestly."

He closed the small space between them in two, large ground covering steps and sat down beside her so close, she could feel the heat radiating off of his body.

She shifted a little to the left, away from him. Increasing the gap by about an inch, still uncomfortable with the situation. What was she meant to do? He was a very strong, very grown man and she was just a weak, teenage girl who wouldn't even have time to grab her wand before she would be pinned down beneath his weight.

He closed the gap between them, his leg rubbing against her own. She shivered gently a little out of fear, and a little out of disgust.

She moved again.

He followed again.

She moved as far over as she could, almost sitting on the arm of the couch she was on, clutching helplessly to the edge.

"What is your problem, Hermione?" Harry asked, frustrated.

"Nothing. I just don't think this is a good idea. Ginny, your wife may I remind you just gave birth to your child and instead, you are sitting here with me, chasing me across the couch with ill-thought intentions."

"It didn't bother you last time." He rested a hand on her warm thigh, tracing light circles on her milky white skin that felt hot to the touch.

"Look. Harry. I am not interested. Unfortunately for you, my moral compass has been calibrated just right thank you very much. However, yours obviously hasn't. So whilst you, a grown man wants to sit here and feel me, a teenage girl up whilst your wife is at home beside herself with the hormones of being a new mother I will not partake in such an activity. You need to go home and you need to make your child and your wife your priority. Not me. Don't worry about me, Harry. I am a big girl and I am capable of looking after myself."

She pushed herself up and Harry followed. She gently padded her way to the door, holding it open Harry walked out and Hermione followed. At least she felt a little better out here in the open. At least if he killed her, someone would find the body sooner rather than later.

"Go home to your wife, Harry. I am not interested." She stood stock-still, eyes glittering dangerously as her jaw jutted out exponentially in defiance.

He watched her with deep regard in his eyes for a moment. As if calculating what to say. As if working out how to insult her perhaps. He was Harry Potter. Nobody rejected him.

He pushed her hard against the cold wall. She hit the wall with such force the wind was knocked from her lungs. Gasping as she writhed beneath his stronghold he tried to push his lips against hers.  
Eyes closed the fought with all the might she had. Clawing at any exposed piece of skin, she could lay her nails on. His face, his arms and his neck. Over and over she clawed which only served to anger him as he pressed her harder into the wall with such vigour, her chest could no longer expand to take in a much-needed breath.

"Please," she managed to gasp out. Hope slowly fading as the world became hazy and she struggled to stand on her own feet.

"Potter!" A voice snarled not too far away. It was Severus, she knew the anger in his tone. She knew the coldness of his voice.

Harry let her go. Shakily she slid down against the wall, breathless.

"You never could take no for an answer when you cursed the halls of this castle when you were a child and it still seems you cannot take no for an answer now when you are supposed to be older and wiser." Severus strode down the hall with purpose in just the way Hermione had remembered him all those years ago. Only this time he was seething, really seething. More than the time they had stolen from his potion stores and more than the time Harry had almost killed Draco in the bathroom.

Harry was confused. Head tilted to the side momentarily as he processed in his mind exactly who it was, and he wanted to know the story behind that. But before he could think any further on the matter a well-placed fist had graced his jaw, sending him stumbling back a few steps.

Righting himself he looked intently at Severus as if pondering what to do next. He wanted to retaliate, he wanted to fight back. Instead, he turned and walked away without even a glance backwards. He knew when to quit and right now, that was one such situation.

Severus knelt beside Hermione. She seemed physically unscathed at least. "Are you ok?" he asked softly, pulling himself to full height and extended a hand to the girl. She took it gratefully and he pulled her to her feet.

"I…I think she. Just shaken a little. I can't believe Harry did that honestly."

"I tried to tell you, Hermione. He isn't the same person you remembered."

"I know that now." She followed him back through to her rooms. At least she could trust him. Maybe.

The two sat in silence for a few moments. Each wanting to say something but neither wanting to say it.

"So. Hermione began," still visibly shaken up. "Have you been avoiding me?"

His lips curled back into a sneer. "I've been avoiding myself, Hermione." And he left it at that.

A/N: Again. I am still loving writing this story. I know Harry probably isn't that jerkish, but then again… He had it in him I think.

-Aliasmel1


	17. Chapter 17

The news about Severus de-aging spread through the school faster than a cyclone through a seaside town. Hushed whispered filled the air and Hermione had heard about ten different versions of the story by now. She could only laugh to herself, at least she knew the truth.

One story was he sacrificed a virgin to the gods above in exchange for his health. Another rumour was he died and went to hell only to strike a deal with the devil, Lucifer Morningstar, in return for his health and youth with Lucifer granting him immortality for his soul.

Another version that was whipping around the castle was that he did a dance during the full moon whilst drinking the blood of a unicorn on a pentagram he scribed into the dirt out in the forest surrounded by Centaurs.

They amused her and she was glad for the stories for they were a current distraction right now to her life crumbling around her like ancient ruins never to be repaired again.

She felt a change through the school too, whenever students saw Severus coming towards them, they would do their best to divert their path and avoid him as the stalked down the corridors with a sneer placed firmly on his face. She had to smile at that, Severus Snape was well and truly back in fine form and pulling the students back into line.

She spent the last few days just wandering the corridors or sitting in the library with a book perched on her lap. She was so terribly bored and to be honest she didn't really want to be alone should Harry find his way back to her rooms and that petrified her and shook her to the core.

o-o-o-o-o-o

"Yes. Like that. Exactly like that." Severus bent down beside her, a curtain of black hair shrouded his face watching intently as she stirred the aging potion. The last part of the potion that was left called for the one that would be consuming the potion to stir it in the last form before it sat for two weeks and then and only then it would be perfect for her to drink.

His abdomen brushed gently against her back ever so softly. If she realised, she didn't recoil in disgust like he would have expected her to, she just continued as if their fabric clad bodies weren't brushing and the growing heat from his body wasn't radiating onto her. His nostrils couldn't help but flaring slightly and inhaling the rose and jasmine scent that wafted softly from her auburn curls and it piqued his interest. He had to push the thoughts to the back of his mind in vain, he would be no better than Potter if he even as much as touched her.

Things had been different since the day he had saved her from Harry. She viewed him in an entirely different light now. Not only had he warned her Harry was a disgusting Troglodyte of a human being, but he saved her from him too.

He shuddered to think what would have happened should he not have ended his one-man pity party and looked for her at that moment.

She still couldn't let go of the fact that Harry Potter, her now ex-best friend could be so vile and disgusting as to try to sleep with her when his first-born child had entered the world only days prior. Not only that, the fact an adult was taking full advantage of a minor who was lost mentally and emotionally in the world and played on that really showed Hermione his true colours.

That spoke volumes to Hermione about his now disgusting character and she wanted no more to do with him, so she washed her hands of him entirely. She would never answer one of his owls and he was certainly off the Christmas card list now. She was so thankful that Severus had guided her in the right direction. Actually, he seemed to be the only person that had cared for her or shown her an ounce of compassion of late which was upsetting. She tried not to let it get her down but in the loneliest time of her life, Severus seemed to be the only shining beacon in the sea of darkness guiding her down the path she needed to take.

Draco Malfoy talked to her on occasion, but she knew it was more out of guilt than for want or need. He would exchange pleasantries with her and bid her good day. She didn't mind, it broke up the monotony of the day where her brain worked overtime trying to process what she was going to do with her life. Did she want to work? Did she want to travel the world? She knew she didn't want to settle down and start a family, no. Whilst technically her body will be in its prime for such things, her mind certainly would not be willing. Plus, you had to have someone who was willing to participate. After all, it took two to tango and procreate and right now, she barely had a friend let alone a father to a child.

She was thankful Severus had basically taken her under his wing and guided her. He made her feel normal. He treated her well and he often invited her down to his chambers for tea and biscuits where they would chat animatedly about students in his class and the potions they ruined and the ramifications that ensued, or on other occasions, they would chat about current affairs in the world. And then he would walk her back to her rooms and bid her goodnight. Totally harmless although she was certain that was just a front to ensure she was ok after what had happened with Harry.

The day it had happened he had marched promptly to McGonagall's office, sat in the chair opposite her desk, looked her straight in the eye and said, "You have utterly fucked up." Whilst coolly crossing his legs and tenting his fingers.

The look on her face was priceless and he wished he had the ways and means to photograph it so it lasted longer.

She looked utterly offended and worried and the malicious glint in her eye he was certain she was going to sail over the table with the agility of a young woman and slap him stupid for his troubles.

"Excuse me?" She barked in her thick Scottish brogue looking absolutely offended at the intrusion and the accusations.

"You gave Potter free reign to the castle, and Potter abused his privilege and power that were bestowed upon him and he forced himself on Hermione Granger. Not only was it totally immoral and disgusting but it is also highly illegal and would be borderline paedophilia."

"I'm not sure I know what you are talking about, Severus." Her head cocked slightly to the side in wonder. He barges in here and then starts going on a tirade about Potter and she was none the wiser as to what he was on about.

"Potter!" A closed fist slammed angrily on the mahogany desk, various trinkets placed upon it skidding and rattling where they sat. "You gave Potter access to the castle and he abused the privilege. He on one occasion that I know of copulated with Hermione Granger by whispering sweet nothings into her ear and playing on her emotions. And then the other day she was so clearly rejecting his advances and he was not taking no for an answer. If I had not come upon the scene Merlin only knows what he would have done to her." He slammed his fist on the desk again as red-hot anger flashed dangerously across his face.

"Are these accusations true, Severus?" She looked incredulously at him.

"No Minerva. I just came in here to spin you some bullshit story to distract you while Draco smuggled in a few kilos of Columbian cocaine. Of course, it is bloody well true, and I wish to know WHY potter had access to the school. Nobody should have access in and out except staff so why was he given free rein? Why was he allowed to come and go as he pleased?" He was now on his feet, palms flat on the desk stooped overlooking at the elder witch. He was seething. He wanted answers.

"Well. Because it's Harry. I wanted him to come and visit Hermione. If you haven't realised, she has had a pretty hard time of things lately and he was her best friend. I was hoping he would take her under his guidance and help her adjust to her new life."

Nostrils softly flared as he considered what she had said. The weight of her words had no effect on his whatsoever. Instead, he just snorted and rolled his eyes.

"No shit," were the only two words he spoke before he stalked from the office, black robes billowing behind him like black smoke in the breeze leaving Minerva to come to the realisation she really did fuck up in a colossal way.

Not only did the poor girl lose her parents, find out she had been trapped for a good portion of her life all but forgotten and presumed dead, then the universe gives her another huge middle finger in the form of Harry Potter. No family, virtually no friends and no idea what to do in life he couldn't but feel perhaps he felt sorry for the girl and empathy wasn't his strong point nor was caring about anyone's situation but these circumstances were extreme and perhaps his moral compass had recalibrated for the better he thought to himself.

He would admit maybe he had a soft spot for the girl now but only because her story was almost as tragic as his own youth lost and alone with nobody to turn to and perhaps, he could be the glimmer of hope in a world of hopelessness.

"Severus?" Her voice pulled him roughly from his revere, shaking his head black locks flying wayward.

"I'm finished stirring," she pointed out gently placing the stirring rod on the wooden desk with a metallic chink.

"Right, yes." He stepped back, the contact he hadn't realised he had been maintaining broken between them now.

Bottling the potion he set it aside in a dark, locked cupboard away from prying eyes and unwanted fingers.

"I'll walk you back."

She nodded, sliding off the stool and onto her feet she followed him out into the corridor and they slowly ambled back towards her room. It was late, she hazarded a guess around midnight the castle corridors empty and silent as they walked. The only sound was their footfalls reverberating off the walls and their shadows bouncing off the walls from the torches lining the walls as they walked.

Her hand brushed against his, an accident he was sure, fingers twitched under her touch as he tried to ignore the smooth skin and the radiant heat. She brushed her hand against his again and he realised now perhaps it was deliberate. He wasn't sure what to think or what to do. Perhaps she just needed to feel the warmth of another person to comfort her?

His train of thought had all but been intercepted when warm hand slipped into his and her long, elegant fingers wrapped around his large cold hand. Her fingers intertwining with his was the most foreign feeling in the world to him. He couldn't even remember if his own mother had ever walked hand-in-hand with him as a young child or not, he was sure she never did. This felt… interesting, different and unusual but he certainly didn't pull away.

He kept reiterating in his head that it was an innocent handhold, and nothing would come of it. She was purely seeking comfort and little more and it was not immoral, and it was not borderline paedophilic.

They walked in silence for the rest of the way, stopping outside her door she didn't let his hand go. Instead, she whipped around to face him, her heart hammering in her chest. What the hell was she doing? This was stupid and wrong, and he probably hated her and only pitied her.

"Thank you, Severus. For everything you have done and the kindness, you have shown me. In the darkest times, you were the light that I needed to guide me, and I can never repay you." She smiled warmly at him, lashes fluttering innocently.

As if by instinct and not by force he reached up and tucked an errant curl behind her ear, fingertips grazing her soft pink cheek almost adoringly. And then, the one thing happened he didn't think would ever happen to him ever again in his life. He leant down and he kissed her. He kissed her softly, he kissed her gently and he kissed her with feeling. It wasn't rough and it wasn't forced, it was…sweet he supposed. And she didn't pull back, in fact, she pressed herself against him and melted into the chaste kiss he placed upon her lips.

He pulled back and she blinked up at him. Well fuck, this could possibly change the course of his whole life from here on in. Heart beating like a jackhammer against his chest he did the only thing he could think of now. Lean in and taste her lips again.

 **A/N: Well… Shit. That wasn't meant to happen at all! I wanted to drag it out forever and eventually in the last chapter it was meant to happen. It felt so right to place the kiss there though so I thought why not? I hope you all enjoyed the chapter.**

 **-Aliasmel1**


	18. Chapter 18

Severus had left Hermione at her door and walked off in a daze. What the fuck did he just let himself do? This wasn't meant to happen. He wasn't meant to lean in and kiss her and he sure as hell wasn't supposed to like it and crave the taste of her lips upon his again.

The whole walk back to the dungeons his mind buzzed, and his stomach flipped. Lips tingled with the taste of her own from the chaste kiss they had shared, and he couldn't think straight. He wanted to go back and kiss her again, but he knew it was so wrong. It wasn't all that long ago that he chastised Potter for almost the same thing… Ok, so not almost the same thing but the sentiment was there.

He wasn't supposed to like spending time with the little swot but he did, he liked every damn second of the time he spent with her getting to know how intricately her mind worked and what made her tick. She was intelligent, she could hold a conversation and keep his interest piqued and she wasn't terrible to look at if he was honest.

And he actually felt some type of empathy towards her and her situation which wasn't something he usually felt towards anyone and it had him questioning whether his moral compass was starting to recalibrate after all he had been through, or maybe he just felt gratitude towards her for saving his life; right now he couldn't be sure.

Now the girl would assume that he liked her and might want to take the relationship further. His stupid mistake and his inability to keep his hands to himself would now cause her more heartache. He couldn't morally enter a relationship with her, could he? Was there really any reason he couldn't? Not that he could think of other than her still technically being a child in body and mind although that would be changing soon.

At the same time though, she didn't need him in her life. The bitter and twisted potions master whose life wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. No, she didn't need that. She could go off and be whoever or whatever she wanted, and she didn't need to be saddled with him.

He sucked in a sad, shuddery breath and entered his chambers slamming the door shut so hard behind him it shook the stone walls. Resting his back upon the wooden door he sunk down in a hopeless mess. Head hung in his hands sadly the thoughts and repercussions of what he had done swirled forcefully though his mind. He couldn't subject her to his abrasive personality and terrible demeanour, she didn't deserve that, not one bit.

But then again, she didn't pull away from him and she didn't appear repulsed but at the same time, she was just a lost, lonely person in a large, lonely sea and perhaps she was latching onto the only entity that showed her some friendship and comfort. Perhaps, she was being led by her heart and not by her head.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Severus had been ghosting her for the past four days since he had kissed her. Obviously, he realised it was a mistake and instead of facing her and explaining his feelings and thoughts, he clearly thought it was easier to ignore her.

She stomped sourly through the hallowed halls one evening doing her very best Severus Snape impersonation. Her footsteps reverberating off the stone walls; she was clearly very alone, her footsteps and breathing the only sounds that filled her ears.

She thought she would take a chance and stomp around near the dungeons should she see him, that way she could round on him and ask him just exactly what he was doing and why he was ignoring her.

She didn't expect him to confess a deep unseated desire for her, or tell her that his heart yearned with every fibre of his being for her, she didn't expect that one bit, but she DID want to talk to him; she missed him terribly and he was the only person she really had in this world. Wait, what?

She knew he would probably be beating himself up over it, hidden away from the world in the comfort of his little cocoon that was his chambers. She knew it was his comfort zone and in there, he liked to think, he liked to beat himself up and he likes to overreact to situations tenfold.

She didn't care if he didn't want to pursue a relationship further, that was fine, but she didn't want him to close himself away from the world just because he didn't want to face her. She was one of the most approachable people she knew so the fact he was shying away from there confused her.

After stalking sourly backwards and forwards on the off chance she would happen upon him, she decided to bite the bullet and go knock on his door, otherwise she would just go to bed angry and then she wouldn't be able to sleep and that would make her even angrier. It was around midnight and she assumed he would still be up anyway, he was very much the night owl… or the dungeon bat as all the children still called him.

She marched right up to his door and wrapped her knuckles upon the wood and waited. The silence that followed annoyed her. She was certain he was going to come striding to the door, pull it over and take her in his arms and kiss her. She shook her head, she had watched too many romance movies.

After a few minutes ticked glacially past, she huffed, turned on her heel and left. So, it was like that now? She rolled her eyes.

She found her feet taking the path to the lake, it was a nice summer night with a light breeze passing through the large tree's. The large full moon shone upon her, illuminating the path she needed to follow. As she drew closer, it was evident there was someone sitting on the bank, the moonlight casting their silhouette softly against the inky sky of midnight.

"What are you doing down here?" She asked gently, sitting down beside Draco Malfoy who jumped at the sudden intrusion.

"Thinking," He muttered, tossing a rock out into the water, the plop of the rock hitting the water reverberated in the silent night. "You?"

"Thinking," She echoed his own words.

"About?" Draco stretched his legs out in front of him and turned to look at her in the darkness.

"Snape."

"Snape?" A quizzical look plastered on his face told Hermione he just really didn't understand.

"He kissed me," She ejaculated. Clamping a hand over her mouth as if to grab the words but they had already spilled from her pink lips.

"Ah. That explains why he was acting as he has been in the staffroom. I thought he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown if I am honest. Jumping at every sound, looking around corners before he walked around them. He must have been avoiding you."

She snorted. "You reckon? He obviously regrets it."

"I don't think he regrets it honestly." He looked forlornly out across the moon-kissed lake. The sky was the only one bearing witness to the two talking civilly as If Draco had never wronged her.

"I just don't think he knows how to process it, yeah? You come back after years went by, basically heal him when he is so close to dying that death himself may as well have been knocking on his chamber door and then after all that you kiss. I think he's just lost in the swirling vortex of the unknown and that scares him, Granger."

After a long pause, she sighed deeply as if mulling his words over. "I guess you might have a point."

"I think he cares for you on a much deeper level than platonically, but I feel he has trouble showing how he feels, especially to you. Somewhere in his head he would be beating himself up about protocol and your age but technically you are no longer a student of Hogwarts, instead stuck in limbo somewhere between a child and an adult and he can't place himself in your life."

"Interesting. I suppose there would be the implication in the matter." She folded her arms tightly across her chest as a chilly breeze passed them and was gone within seconds.

Silence shrouded them as the gentle breeze began to blow through the darkened trees. The gentle lapping of the water on the lakes edge rhythmically hypnotised her and had her staring in a daze out across the water tainted silver by the moon.

"I'm sorry too, Granger," Draco broke the silence as if trying to force himself to apologise. "I was young and dumb. I appreciate you not taking it any further either. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I can never give you back those lost years, but I am here if you ever need anything at all. Don't hesitate to ask," his voice quivered at the end, he was scared she was going to turn her wand to him and hex him. It had taken him months to get the courage up to tell her. He had played it over and over again in his head like a record on a loop of what he was going to say but every time he went to say it, he would chicken out for fear of what would follow.

"It's fine, Draco. You aren't the same spoiled brat that you were back then. I think many people would have done the same thing you would have done under the instruction of Bellatrix for fear of their own life."

The corners of her lips pulled back into a meek smile and she rested a reassuring hand on his knee where it lingered for a few moments.

"I best be off, Granger. I've got classes in the morning and I try to get a few hours sleep a night when my brain finally decides to turn off. Hold in there, Snape will come around eventually I am sure." He clapped his own hand over her own gently and squeezed it as a show of comradery.

"Catch you later, Granger." He nodded curtly before getting to his feet and leaving her at the shore of the lake with nothing but the mingling thoughts swirling in her head.

She sprawled out lazily on the grass enjoying the breeze and quiet of the night and the company of herself. After all, she was the only one she had right now. Severus clearly wanted nothing to do with her. She snorted indignantly at that, and her friends weren't exactly her friends anymore. No, she would have to get used to her own company.

She sniffed sadly, looking off across the lake totally zoning out and daydreaming. She didn't realise someone was standing over her until they cleared their throat.

She jumped, startled and looked up. The one-man she had been seeking out for days was there, and not ignoring her anymore it seemed.

"Can I help you?" She snapped sharply at him, folding her arms back tightly across her chest and refusing to look at him.

"Draco informed me you were here and your potion is ready," he pressed gently, picking up on the angry vibes she was currently putting down so chose to speak slowly.

"That's nice," she huffed, forcing herself to look up at the man who towered over, she glared at him with disdain swimming deep in her eyes. "I suppose I better come drink it so I can get out of here where I am _clearly_ not wanted."

"Hermione-" He stopped. What exactly was he going to say? Hermione, I wish it could work? Hermione, I want it to work? Hermione, I regret ever kissing you?

"Hermione." He took in a deep breath filling his lungs. "I'm sorry if I led you on. I'm sorry if I have given you the wrong impression but I don't think we are compatible for one another."

She slowly pulled herself up on her feet and faced him, still a head shorter even when she pulled herself up to full height but that didn't stop her.

"Really? You deduced such nonsense from ONE kiss, Severus? One measly kiss and you think we aren't compatible?" She seethed, teeth bared angrily and chest heavy with every word. Tears pricked hotly in the corners of her eyes and her lip quivered.

"We are so different, Hermione," he said with sincerity woven in his voice followed by a sad sigh.

"You are literally all I have in this world, Severus. I have nobody and I have nothing to cling onto in this world right in my time of need. You were the glimmer of hope in the otherwise darkened life and now I can't even rely on you."

He brushed an errant curl from her white face softly, his finger continued down her cheek once the curl had been locked in place.

She closed her eyes and relished in the touch which was just enough to open a floodgate of tears that streamed like glistening diamonds down her face.

"Hermione," He warned sternly.

"Severus," She countered back.

He sighed deeply as if defeated. "You have no idea what you are wishing for, witch."

He leaned forward and gently kissed her on the lips and it was just as good as the first time he had ever done it, perhaps even a little better…

A/N: Thank you all for being so patient! I wanted to get another one of my stories finished so put all other on the back burner for quite a while.

-Aliasmel1


	19. Chapter 19

He pushed the kiss from his mind as he mentally beat himself up over caving to her once again. This was immoral and he shouldn't be doing that.

Mentally beating himself up she pulled him from his reverie.

"Will it hurt?" She asked softly, holding the vial of aging potion between her thumb and index finger studying it in the light of the dungeons with interest. The swirling, shimmering almost metallic nature had her fixated on the beauty of the potion and it was almost too pretty to drink.

"It might, it might not. Everyone reacts differently to potions as you can imagine with anything someone may ingest. You might feel nothing, a slight tingle or the pain could be blinding. We won't know until you drink it."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Severus." She shot him a dark look before uncorking the potion. She wanted desperately to smell it but she knew if she did that and the smell was unbearable she would gag and most likely not be able to get it down and this was the only potion they had left after his accident a few weeks ago and she couldn't afford to ruin this one.

"Good luck," a soft whisper met her ears as she stood still staring down at the vial as if willing herself to drink it. She could get it down in one mouthful and it would be over, but it wasn't really the drinking of it that scared her, it was the pain that may follow or the unknown territory she was about to drink herself into.

Once she drank the potion, what was going to become of her? What would she look like? Would it change her as a person rather than just her appearance? And then, once she drank the potion she would have to leave of course, and she would probably be cold and alone in the wide world because Severus was clearly beating himself up over what had happened between them twice now and she knew he was much too proper to follow his heart, instead, he followed protocol.

But then again, maybe if she drank it, he would love her and want to be with her like she wanted to be with him. She had confessed he was the only person in the world that she had but she didn't think he really understood how much she actually meant that. She literally had nobody.

Gnawing for a few moments on her bottom lip she finally pushed the smooth glass to her lips, hands shaking uncontrollably she gave him one quick glance before closing her eyes and downed the contents.

To her surprise, it was virtually tasteless which was surprising considering some of the vile ingredients she saw him throw into the potion when he was creating it. She was also surprised that nothing happened, well not immediately anyway.

"Is… Is this meant to happen?" She enquired.

"I, well. It should have started taking effect by n-" He was cut off as her eyes grew wide and her face began to thin out, hair growing longer and the one thing he did notice begin to change was her breasts began to grow bigger.

The wild look in her eye that began to take over and the pain etched into every line over her face told him perhaps she wasn't handling this well. She slumped over, palms lying float on the table trying to right herself as the world began to spin and her body began to ache with the ferocity of the fires in the belly of hell. She could feel her skin stretching and burning, she could feel things move and bones stretching and growing painfully, and she admired anyone who ever went through something like this and got through the end.

She tried to suck in much-needed breaths but it was becoming increasingly hard as her body shook violently. The last thing Hermione remembered was the world going black.

Severus had been watching her intently and the moment he saw her gasping for air he had moved to her side with haste, catching her in his arms as she went to hit the cobblestone floor below and was now in a slight struggle trying to carry her into his quarters. Of course, he could use his wand, except for the fact it was right in his back pocket and it was too cumbersome to fumble for it whilst trying to support her. This would have been easier if she didn't just ingest an aging potion and in response add a little extra weight, no longer was he trying to manoeuvre a young girl but a fully-grown woman. At least the potion worked, right?

Pushing through the door to his chamber he managed to clamber all the way with her in his clutches to his bedroom where he unceremoniously laid her upon his bed in an undignified heap. Not deliberate of course but she was heavy and cumbersome and his grip upon her was starting to slip.

Once he had her down, he straightened her body on the bed and propped a pillow beneath her head. The rise and fall of her chest told him she was probably going to be just fine and the sheer pain from the transformation had caused her to pass out.

There wasn't much he could do for her except wait for her body to recover and wait for her to come too. Her entire body and every organ within it had just shifted and grown exponentially and that would have been enough on its own to cause her to pass out.

He stood over her peering down. Her hair had grown longer, face elongated, she had grown around an inch in height and her breasts had expanded by a cup or two and his cheeks blazed beet-red when he realised the shirt and skirt she had been wearing that fit her modestly before were now tight and had her looking something like a lady of the night.

To protect her modesty her gently threw a blanket over the top of her and took a seat beside the bed to watch over her. A small black cat jumped in his lap and lay down purring as he stroked its soft fur gently.

"Tia." He sighed haughtily, his hand ceasing on the cats back for a moment. "I don't know what to do. It's clear the girl has some feelings for me and I would be lying if I said I didn't feel anything for her but it's all so wrong and don't think I can morally saddle her with an evil wretch like me."

The cat, his familiar, stood on its hind legs and pressed two front paws to his chest, staring at him intently. "Don't give me that look, cat. I know exactly what you want me to do and I don't think it's right."

 _You know what you want in your heart of hearts, Severus. Tell the girl how you feel and be done with it. Tell her you have fallen head over heels in love with her. Tell her you want her around._

"You're not going to give up on this, are you?" He asked the small black cat as it gently rubbed its head against his chin.

 _You know once I dig my claws in, I don't let go._

"You couldn't be a normal cat that showed up at my door, could you? No. Instead, I get the one that is my familiar and can communicate through thought. Amazing," He snapped, sarcastically.

The cat chose to ignore him.

o-o-o-o-o

Her eyes ever so slowly fluttered opened to be met with a dull lit room. Hands skimmed over the blankets and they felt unfamiliar to her. Slowly she sat up in the bed as he eyes tried their best to adjust to the soft glow mingling with darkness. Not a window in sight she could only assume she was somewhere in the dungeons of the castle and memories of the potion came flooding back to her.

She felt a weight fall on her lap and she let out a gasp of surprise when she felt four small paws sashaying their way up her legs and the creature sat on her lap. Biting her bottom lip in worry she could barely make out the shape of the animal in the dull light of the room, only being lit by light flooding down the hall.

Ever so gently she stroked the animal with a hand. It hadn't attacked her yet so that was a good thing, at least. She really hoped it was a house cat and not a magical animal that was creeping around ready to take a limb off.

Softly she touched the animals head and swiped her hand down its body and up along its velvet soft tail and she worked out by the shape and the fur it was indeed a tiny cat that had now started to purr like a well-tuned engine.

The tiny cat jumped up resting two paws against Hermione's chest and began to rub her silken head against the girl's chin whilst she continued to purr vigorously.

"Aren't you beautiful?" Hermione cooed in a whisper to the cat, stroking the cat's body over and over. Every stroke of the cat's fur grew softer to the touch and the smile on her face grew.

"Oh, you're awake," Severus almost bit too hard as he walked into the room flicking his wand at a torch and lighting the room.

Hermione could now see the tiny cat that had befriended her, a small black cat with an incredibly glossy coat was still rubbing its head all over Hermione in a show of affection.

"I think someone's cat found its way in here, Severus."

"No, she is meant to be in here, Hermione. That is Amortentia and she is my cat."

"Well, why haven't I see her before?" She gently protested.

"Because, Hermione, Amortentia resides in my bedroom and cares not for strangers. She is timid beyond measure and you are the only person besides me that I have been her warm too. She came to me as a tiny kitten that fit in the palm of my hand about five years ago. I was brewing Amortentia when I heard a tiny squeaking outside of my door. I assumed someone's bastard cat had expelled kittens within the castle somewhere and she ended up on my doorstep. I care not for cats but there was something different about this one."

"Wait, why were you brewing Amortentia?" She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him.

"I sometimes brew and sell potions to order, well, I did until I ended up deathly ill and started to slow down. I guess I could start again."

He reached out to pluck the cat from Hermione's chest and only ended up with a bat of the cats' paws for his effort. "Tia, I know what you are playing at, cat." He grasped the cat round the midsection and pulled her gently away, dropping her on the bed beside Hermione. It was clear the cat was trying to tell Severus exactly what choice to make and if he saw that she liked Hermione then maybe he would make the right choice.

"She really likes you." He glowered the cat who had a sassy look in her eye and turned her back on him to show her distaste.

"Now you have heard about my cat's life story, let's move onto you, Hermione. You passed out, from the pain which is honestly the response to the potion I was thinking would happen, and I brought you here to rest. From what I have seen the potion worked but I want you to stay here for the night so I can keep an eye on you, please. I'll sleep in here on a mattress on the floor so I am close should anything happen and then from tomorrow you are free to carry on with your life any which way you want…"

"Oh. Ok," She muttered sadly, tearing her gaze away from him. He didn't even want to share a bed with her for the night, let alone keep her around any longer than he had to.

She flung the blanket off of herself and pulled herself up to full height and looked down at herself in awe, wrinkling her nose when she saw how tight the clothes she had on were.

"Well, I guess I have an excuse to go buy new clothes?" She shrugged, beaming. Catching a glimpse of herself in a mirror across the room she walked closer to have a look.

She twisted her head left and right, inspecting her face intently. Grasping her hair, she examined the curl she had captured with interest.

She took a step back and inspected herself from her stomach up, noting her breasts had grown a touch and she was a little taller. Now she knew how Severus had felt the first time he had seen himself in the mirror after the accident.

"It feels so-"

"Odd? Different? Surreal?" He interjected helpfully.

"All of the above, well, they basically all mean the same thing anyway," she confirmed with a small nod turning back to him.

"I suppose I will stay here for the night as requested and pack my bags and leave tomorrow after saying goodbye to everyone."

 _Are you an idiot, Severus? She is basically waiting for you to tell her you want her to stay._

He glowered at the cat and he was sure she had just rolled her eyes at him. He wasn't taking the advice of a house cat.

He moved over to a nightstand and rummaged around, pulling out a large grey nightshirt he found within and handed it to her. "This might be more comfortable to sleep in, Hermione, than the tight clothes you currently have on."

"Yes, right, thank you," her voice hollow and empty, as if all hope that was once there had all but faded away and vanished. "I'll just duck to the bathroom and have a shower."

He watched as she left the room before sitting on the bed, hanging his head in his hands, he felt the cat brush against his leg.

"Don't say a word," he warned the cat. But cat's being cats did what they wanted anyway with little to no remorse.

 _She's annoyed with you now. Upset and angry. Just do the right thing._

"I swear to Merlin, cat, I am going to lock you in a cupboard soon," he snarled, baring his teeth as the cat rubbed against his leg gently. "I know what you want me to do, and I know what she wants me to do and I know what I should do but it isn't a simple as you all think. It's immoral. She's already had everything torn away from her and the last thing she needs is me in her life."

"Who are you talking to?" She asked airily as she walked back into the room. Thin legs stopping mid-thigh covered by the nightshirt he had given her and mentally scolded himself for looking. Technically in mind, she was still a child even if she had a body he wanted nothing more than to lay down and ravish and there laid another issue with him. Could he ever see her as anything but the child he knew?

"You can sleep beside me if you want, Severus. I don't expect you to sleep on the floor in your own home."

Fucking hell. That's all he needed. He was finding it hard enough not to push her on the bed right now and fuck her all night long, but that was just an open invitation. One night, get through one night and she will be gone he kept reminding himself. One night.

He wanted to kiss her lips, he wanted to run a hand under the nightshirt and over the swell of her ass. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her neck and ravage her body. He wanted to sheath himself within her wet folds and make love to her all night long. He groaned low in his throat.

"Are you ok?" She asked sweetly batting her eyelashes at him gently.

"Just a moral debate with myself internally. I want to do something so very badly but another part of me knows it's not supposed to happen for fear of putting ideas and unrealistic expectations into another person's head."

She shrugged. "Do what you want to do today because tomorrow is never promised to us."

He stepped towards her, closing the gap between them and stopped half a foot out from her. A hand reached out gently to cup her chin and force her gaze to meet his own. Lust and longing swirled in his eyes. He wanted the girl badly, he wanted to love her, he really did. But she deserved more than him, she deserved to be happy and she wasn't going to find that happiness with him.

"I can't promise you anything, Hermione. Deep down in my heart, I know what the right thing to do is and that is walk away and leave you to your own devices. You deserve more than I could ever give you. You deserve happiness and love and all things great in your life and I know you want these off me, but I cannot give them to you. Not now and probably not ever. You are too good for a wretch and a vile person such as me. I don't deserve happiness and I don't deserve a bright, beautiful, intelligent witch such as yourself."

"Please. Severus. You are all I have." An there was that line she had used to reel him in before. She was smart, she was resilient and she would find new friends she would find someone else to love.

Tears began to form in her eyes and her bottom lip quivered with vigour and his heart clenched tight inside his chest. He hated seeing her like this and he hated being the reason for her sadness.

"Please don't make it any harder than it has to be, please," His own voice husky with sadness as he dropped her chin and turned his back on her. He didn't want her to see the sadness etched into his face.

"Severus. I want you. I don't care about what you have done in the past. It matters not to me!" She tried in desperation to get him to sway his decision, but it never worked.

"You best get some rest, Hermione. I'll check in on you later," he talked with his back facing her. She didn't need to see the stray tear that fell down his cheek.

 **A/N: Well that wasn't how that was supposed to go at all! He was at least supposed to kiss her again but the characters just wrote themselves I am merely along for the ride.**

 **Wow. I just realised I published this just over a year ago. I swear time is just flying by.**

 **I see about two more chapters for this story. Just enough for me to wrap it up in a neat little bow. I was always only writing this as a cute little filler/love story and so far that hasn't happened but I only need a few chapters to sway it the way I need it.**

 **-aliasmel1**


	20. Chapter 20

_She spent half the night crying, you know._ The cat had meandered into the sitting room where Severus had spent the night perched on his armchair with thoughts swirling in his mind and a heavyweight pressing on his shoulders. He couldn't sleep because he felt the guilt gnawing at him, and he didn't want to stay in the same room because of what had unfolded. The tension was palpable.

She had gotten up at around six am and snuck out. She thought she was quiet enough that he didn't know, but he did. He wanted to stop her, but he thought it was better to let her go than to prolong the inevitable.

He had heard her crying half the night and he knew she pretended to be asleep when he would check on her hourly. Amortentia had snuggled up with her for the night trying to comfort the poor girl and serve as a distraction but it did little to help her broken heart that Severus had caused.

"I don't need you to tell me that, cat," He hissed viciously. "I already feel bad enough about pushing the poor girl away, but I don't need advice or condemnation from a house cat thank you very much."

He stood and paced backwards and forwards. Sure, she felt terrible now about the whole ordeal but give it a few days and she would be perfectly fine, she could bounce back from anything and before she knew it, she would have forgotten all about him.

 _Do you know how utterly frustrating you are, Severus? You talked non-stop about the girl for weeks. You told me how fond of her you were. I was there with the dizzying highs when you kissed her and the lows when you found out that Harry Potter was trying to force himself on her and now you want nothing to do with her. I wish I had hands because I would have slapped you by now._

"I know that, cat. You have great observation skills for an animal that spends more time licking their own genitals than anything else. I know what I said. I know what I did, and I know deep down that this is the right choice. She has her whole life ahead of her. Her whole life to meet someone she is worthy of. She has her whole life to love them and build her own family with them and they will be perfect for her."

Carding a stark white hand through inky black hair shakily his eyes closed for a moment as if in deep thought. His heart hurt and his head ached from the constant battle going on in it over what was right, what was wrong and what was easy.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Severus had been stalking the halls of Hogwarts later that day. Stomping along and his cloak billowing behind him like a dark, sad cloud following him students physically jumped out of his way to avoid him and news flew around the castle he was in the sourest mood anyone had ever seen him in; ever.

Just as he was about to stalk into the great hall for dinner, he caught a glimpse of a woman in a bright sunflower yellow dress sitting just below her knee, chocolate hair hung loosely around her shoulders and a bag clutched tightly in her hand he stopped and watched the woman intently for a moment.

"Leaving already?" He asked gently, walking up behind her. She jumped startled and spun around.

"Well there is no point me hanging around, there is nothing left here for me. I think your cat likes me more than you do." She shrugged just as the tiny black cat came bounding along the hall and skidding to a stop beside Severus.

"That's not true," he protested as silence hung heavily over them, neither knowing what to say to the other.

"So, this is it," She whispered with an air of sadness hanging over her. The small bag clutched in her hand full of the few belongings she wanted to take home with her. Everything else, clothes, robes and textbooks could all stay behind because they were of no use to her.

"This is it." He clenched his jaw as he looked down at her and a lump formed in his throat which caused him to swallow rapidly and try to push any feelings he had away.  
 _  
This is it. This is your last chance. Do the right thing and tell her how you feel. Stop being so bloody stubborn._ The small cat sat by his feet, venturing out of his chambers and following him up to the front doors only to supervise and criticize what stupid move he was going to make next and hopefully, she could be the voice of reason for him right now.

"Severus." She dropped the bag on the floor and blinked up at him. "I don't want us to end on bad terms. I don't want any bad blood between us. Come visit me whenever you are free," she managed to choke out and averted her gaze so he couldn't see she was once again crying.

He reached up and gently wiped a tear from her cheek that had fallen and stained her skin. "I'm sorry, Hermione. It's for the best."

She sniffed indignantly and looked him square in the eye. "I love how nobody ever asked me what I want. It's always everyone telling me what I should want or what I need or what I should do. It's never here Hermione, make your own choices in life."

"Hermione," He warned sternly, gripping her chin and forcing her to look at him. "I am not the person you think I am. I am complex and complicated, and I have done things in life that I am not proud of. I don't deserve someone as beautiful as you in heart and soul. I am an evil wretch with few redeeming qualities and if I am honest more people were upset when you cured me than when they knew my time was ending. If that doesn't tell you how bad my moral compass is calibrated, then nothing will. You have had so much sadness bestowed upon you and you have literally had to grow from child to woman in a matter of weeks and face things that nobody should ever have to. And you were brilliant, resilient and amazing and I know you deserve so much more than me."

 _You are an idiot._

He looked down at the cat to reprimand her and he was certain he saw her eyes rolls.

Pulling Hermione in tight to his chest and held her tight in a hug that lingered longer than a normal hug should have. He inhaled her scent and appreciated how she felt against him and for one fleeting moment, he almost tilted her head up and kissed her lips and almost told her he loved her, instead, he placed a gentle kiss atop her head and stepped back.

"Good luck, Hermione. I'll come to visit." He clamped a hand on her shoulder before turning on his heel and trotting off as his heart tore inside of his chest.

Hermione, blinking back tears, scooped the tiny little black cat up in her arms and held her tightly against her chest. "And I'll miss you too, probably the most," she sniffed before lowering the cat to the ground and walked away.

That was it. Nothing she said or did would change his mind and she had to come to terms with that.

o-o-o-o-o

He pressed the whiskey bottle to his lips. Alcohol always was a way to numb the pain and forget for just a little while. His heart ached and his mind kept going over and over everything he had done wrong. The cat sat beside him silently judging him but not saying a word. Not old was she upset about the decision he had made but she was incredibly disappointed in him too.

His large hand rested softly on the cat's small head and she ignored him to show her displeasure.

He made some stupid choices in his life but the one to push Hermione away and let her leave her was one of the stupidest choices he had ever made but he was much too stubborn to right wrongs and chase after her. No. He would sit here and numb the pain until he passed out. At least then he would forget for a while.

o-o-o-o-o

Hermione pushed open the door to her childhood home and froze for a moment as all of the memories came flooding back. A photo of her mother and father sat in the entryway and her heart clenched in her chest. She placed her bag by the door and started walking around the house. Nothing had changed. It was as if she had been gone for a few months and had come back for the holidays.

She couldn't bear to look at the photos of her parents. She couldn't bear to be in the house that held so many memories and most of all she couldn't bear the thought that she was rejected by the one person she had in her life that she loved. The one person in her life that she confided in, the one person in her life that she trusted and that is what hurt the most. Not what Draco did to her, not the lost years of her life, not the fact Harry turned out to be someone she didn't know. No. The one thing that hurt her the most was the man she trusted the most had shunned her and pushed her away. That is what hurt the most.

 **A/N. I know, I know. You are all tearing your hair out and screaming at the computer. One more chapter and I promise you will all be happy.**


	21. Chapter 21

Would it be stupid of him to go and see her? It had been a week since she had left, and the place had never felt so cold and empty as it had in those seven days. Seven days of loneliness and sadness mingling together and made him irate more so than usual as if a heavyweight was pressing down upon him and his stomach churned with unease and anger. To say he was in a mood was an understatement. He had docked points from every house respectively for ridiculous and merely trivial reasons.

One Slytherin breathed too loudly, a Gryffindor sneezed, A Ravenclaw had to go to the bathroom and a Hufflepuff coughed. That started his tyranny that week and he was only getting worse as each day went by. He was growling at students who dared look in his direction and he almost pulled his wand on one but decided at the last moment to not go down that route because it wasn't worth it to be pulled before the governors to explain his actions.

He had not attended any meals, instead choosing to lock himself in his chambers and partake in the consumption of a whiskey breakfast, lunch and dinner; quite liberally if he did say so himself. It was the only thing that numbed the pain. A band-aid solution to a broken heart that he didn't want anyone to know he had.

 _Just go visit her_ The black cat jumped on his lap circling around and around in quest of seeking the perfect spot in which to lay.

"Why don't you visit her," the man retorted to his cat as he sat cross-armed in his sitting room portraying very much the image of a petulant child.

The cat began to knead his lap gently in a show of affection.

 _I would but I am a cat and I have no way to get anywhere without your help, Severus. And you know it._

She deliberately added a little extra claw into the mix just to make him squirm and to snap him out of his stupor.

"You're lucky I don't toss you out to roam the halls of Hogwarts, cat. You wouldn't last ten minutes out there alone without me before you are screaming down the hall and yowling at my door," he spat at the black feline who dug a claw in just that little bit harder before settling on his lap.

 _You can visit her, you know. I will come to hold your hand with my paw for moral support if you like. You don't have to confess your undying love for her, but you can just go sit and have a talk with her, Severus. It might brighten your spirits and lift your mood._

"I do not have feelings of undying love for her, cat. So, get those false notions out of your head before you cause more issue than need be." He exhaled sharply through his nose, causing the cat to jump just so in mild fright.

 _Why lie, Severus? I see the way you drink from sun-up to sundown. I feel the anger swirling around your body and gnawing at your psyche. I feel how dark and sad your aurora has become since she left. If that isn't love, and undying love at that then I give up. Now go after her before it-_

The cat instantly froze mid-sentence, leaping to her feed soundlessly she raced over to the door to Severus' chambers. Hackles on her back raised up instantly as her tail began to flick violently in the air as if it had been possessed.

 _Someone is outside and I don't like the vibe they are giving off._

Since owning Amortentia, Severus had realised the saying that animals were a good moderator of character rang mostly true. When someone came to the door she didn't like, you would know about it although she usually ran and hid in his bedroom than sit by the door and wait to see who it was. Pulling himself to full height he strode to the door and yanked it open just as the person on the other side went to knock.

Harry Potter stood on the opposite side, a balled fist raised ready to wrap knuckles against wood.

"You have some hide showing yourself around here, Potter." Gnashing his teeth he went to slam the door in the other man's face but Potter put his foot in it, stopping that from happening.

Amortentia's hackles raised higher and she began growling low in her throat, tail flicking back and forwards slowly now, almost mesmerising. She began to slowly adjust her feet as if trying to get the perfect foothold to make her attack on the man.

"Have you seen Hermione? Is she here? I need to apologise to her I was way out of line and I want to make amends…" He raked a hand through raven hair. Green eyes piercing Severus's black ones for a fleeting moment and Severus didn't even see a flicker of remorse within the green eyes that stared back at him.

"She's not here, Potter. And I am damn well not letting you know where she is." He pulled himself up to full height to intimidate the other man not that it worked because Harry was just as tall as he and almost unflappable.

"I need to kno- can you shut that cat up? I can't hear myself think over the noise it's making."

"That cat almost has a mind of her own, Potter. I can't just shut her up as you so eloquently put it and you may not know where Hermione is because I cannot trust you not to touch her as far as I could pick you up and throw you which isn't very far. So why don't you claw your way back to the cesspool in which you rolled out of and leave her and everyone else alone? How the fucking hell did you even get in the castle again?"

He sniffed indignantly eyeing Severus with heavy regard. "I'm here on business and thought I would pop down to see Hermione. Now, where is she?" Harry took a step into Severus' chambers without invitation which set the cat off further. Her growls growing deeper and tail flicking violently.

"Leave now Potter or you shall regret the day you drew your first breath."

"Is that a promise, or a threat, Snape?" Harry took a step closer towards Severus, jutting his chin out defiantly, a mere foot separated the two men who were now in a pressure cooker of testosterone flying around. Severus balling his hands at his sides into tight fists.

Severus nor Harry even had a chance to react before the cat had run up Harry's leg, punctuating her every movement with the painful kiss of her claws to flesh beneath cotton causing him to wail out in surprise and agony.

Claws dug deep into the flesh of his chest marring it beneath his clothing. Still yowling the cat drew back one paw and sunk it in lightning-fast into the man's face with gusto.

Quite happy with her work she admired the trickle of blood down his cheek, three paws still digging into his chest tightly tugging violently at skin.

Harry tore the cat painfully from his chest and threw her with force at the stone floor below where she lay, unmoving.

"You need to put a fucking leash on that cat," he snarled. Reaching up and pressing a hand hard against the legacy she had left behind.

Severus looked to the man and down at the cat who was on the ground currently unmoving, chest not even wavering to draw a breath. Fists still clenched by his side, eyes flicked dangerously and perhaps it wasn't just the fact he had hurt his cat, perhaps there was more to. Maybe this was for Hermione and the heartbreak and violation he bestowed upon her and the fact Severus cared so for the girl and wanted to avenge her, so he raised a fist, drew it back and laid it squarely on Potters nose with so much force, he heard a crack just as the man went flying back in spectacular style stumbling a few steps before coming to a halt.

Keeled over and face clutched in a hand he looked up at Snape with utter loathing with a tinge of fear in his eyes, not even saying another world he stumbled from the man's chamber in a bid to distance himself from the savagery that he had borne the brunt of.

Severus bent down and scooped up the cat and cradled her in his arms. She limply hung against his body as he gently tried to rouse her but that didn't work. If that prick had killed his cat, he would be out for blood.

He was no Magizooligist by any stretch of the imagination and the potions he had in store were a far cry from the same ones that a feline would need. Holding the cat tighter against his chest he ran to the only person he knew who could help. A man he had no bad blood with and he knew would help any animal in a pinch when needed. Hagrid.

The trip to Hagrid hut was all but a blur, the sun hung lazily in the skin just about to vanish behind the horizon leaving the sky an orange and purple gradient, his long legs worked overtime to get him to his destination. The little chit of an animal may be the bane of his existence, but he was also very fond of her. His comrade and his shoulder to cry on. The one that was there when nobody else was for him. The furry little heathen may anger him at times but most of the time she was there for him and he considered her a friend.

"Hagrid," He panted. Clutching the cat in one arm he pounded the other against the old weather door of the hut.

It felt like a lifetime that passed as time glacially ticked by. A scrape of a lock and a turn of a handle the half-giant stood before him his face instantly falling as his eyes lay upon the cat.

"Wha' appened?" he snatched the limp cat from his arms and led the way into his hut. The fire gently licking logs off in the corner his eye just caught glimpse of another person in the room.

"Hermione?" He managed to stutter out, mouth-drying up by the second and heart beating almost out of his chest when he caught sight of her. This was all he needed, to see her again. The reminder of her was already a raw and open wound upon his heart and this made matters worse.

"Severus!" she exclaimed sliding off the large chair and hurrying over to where they stood, noticing Amortentia.

"What happened to her!" Hermione's voice raised a few octaves as worry ebbed into her voice as she spoke.

"She admirably attacked Potter when he came barging into my chambers just now. He threw her so hard against the floor she never drew another breath. Hagrid, Please." His voice was full of desperation as he looked at his cat now lying on Hagrid's kitchen table pitifully.

Her eyes grew wide and tear-filled. "Severus I am sorry," she sobbed. It was all her fault. Everything."

"It's not your fault, Hermione."

"It is!" She stomped a foot forcefully on the wooden floor of the hut. "He was looking for me, wasn't he? He was bound to come looking again I knew that much. I know he can't leave well enough alone."

Hagrid's large hands dwarfed the tiny black cat, despite their size he worked delicately on the cat silently not even daring to breathe too loud.

Rubbing her chest vigorously the tiny cat's chest moved abruptly as she drew in a large breath of air and the breath that Severus felt as if he had been holding was finally released as he relaxed.

Gingerly the little cat shakily pulled herself to her feet and staggered a few steps across the table past Severus and sat by Hermione who scooped her up in her arms.

"She will be jus' fine Snape. Jus' a bit o' concussion is all. I ca' believe it. Arry' wouln' do anythin' like that." Hagrid shook his head, bushy hair and tangled mop of hair moving gently along with the movement.

Hagrid still admired Harry. Despite all the rumour floats around in the staffroom about what he had done to Hermione not only her but other young girls also. Naïve Hagrid took everyone at face value; if you were nice to him, he would be nice to you regardless of what you had done to bring yourself down.

"Yeah, well, he did," Snape bit bitterly flicking a strand of black hair over his shoulder and smoothing out his robes.

"Thank you, Hagrid," Severus muttered with a curt nod thrown in. "I best be off."

He gently plucked the cat from Hermione's arms and turned to leave, walking across the floor and opening the door he ascended the stairs quickly trying to distance himself from the woman whom his heart pined over but he would never admit it. Raw feelings and emotions began to bubble to the surface as he strode with purpose back to his dungeons. Seeing her had all but reiterated the fact he really did like her on a deeper basis than he had been telling himself, but he would never act on those feelings.

"Severus, wait up," a soft voice carried in the evening air across the castle grounds.

He heard panting from behind as the hurried footsteps of the woman, she had obviously followed him.

He slowed his stride just so to allow her to catch up as she fell into step beside him. "Are you in a hurry to get away from me?" She accused, side-eyeing him as they walked.

"No," he snapped and began to pick the pace up once again, the cat looking judgementally at him but keeping her opinion quiet; she was much too sore and tired to argue right now.

"Why are you being so hostile towards me?" She had to jog to keep up with his large and fast strides. The more irate he became, the faster his legs moved.

"I'm not!" He snarled which totally contradicted what he had just denied.

"There is something up your arse tonight Severus and I don't know what I have done wrong, but I don't deserve this. Are you angry because I was visiting Hagrid and I didn't stop by to see you first?"

He stopped so fast she ended up three steps ahead of him before she had realised his motion had ceased. Stumbling awkwardly to a stop she whipped around to face him and noticed the sadness etched into his face and the desponded look deep in his eye and it was at that moment she realised it was something deeper then what she had realised.

"Hermione," He began, tucking the cat into the crook of his elbow and reaching out to cup her chin firmly, forcing her to look at him. He tried to hold steadfast and stoic but he was certain there was a tiny crack in his voice and his eyes began to water just a touch more than usual and he was failing miserably at holding his emotions in right now and he hated himself for that. He hated feeling sadness at the best of times let alone now peering at the one thing tearing his heart from his chest.

"Hermione," He began again exhaling hard through his nose, turning his head just so to avoid her gaze momentarily. "I love you. With every fibre of my being, I love you. I love everything about you. I love everything you hate about yourself. And I can't have you because you deserve so much better than I can give you. You don't deserve a vile wretch such as me, with the poorly calibrated moral compass. I don't deserve someone as kind and selfless as yourself I deserve death and nothing less. I am hard to get along with and even harder to live with," his voice was wavering by the end. Tears silently sliding down his cheeks and he made no effort to wipe them away.

"Severus," words whispered as softly as a gentle breeze passing his ears as she reached up fingertips to gently brush across his moist cheek, fingers haltering for just a fleeting moment before resting on his neck. "I don't care about what you think I deserve. I know what I deserve and that is someone fiercely loyal who will fight tooth and nail for what they believe in even if it means facing death. You have been selfless beyond measure. You didn't have to help me; you could have told Kingsley to shove his box of ingredients where the sun doesn't shine but instead you took on the task even though you were staring down the barrel of imminent death. You make yourself out to be the big bad wolf and you are far from it. Plus, I love your cat," She added in at the end trying to lighten the mood just a touch.

Still holding her chin steadfast he leant down and stole a kiss. It was slow and tender with a hint of moistness thanks to the tears marring his cheeks, but it was soft and sweet, and it had meaning. It wasn't fast and it wasn't full of lust it was perfect.

Pulling away a small impish smile was tugging at his lips. "The cat loves you too, Hermione," He chuckled as he released her chin and thrust the cat into her arms. "Although that is what she tells me, anyway."

"Wait." She looked at him incredulously. "Cat's can't talk." She cradled the furry bundle in her arms tightly as she purred against the girl's chest.

"Not in the sense that you would imagine, but when one has a cat as a familiar communication is possible." He began to walk slowly with Hermione falling into place beside him.

"Wait. So, she talks to you?"

"Correct," He confirmed turning a quick left and a right.

"So everything I said about you to her, she told you?" She paled and slowed her footsteps.

"Whatever you told her about me I can guarantee she never told me. Cats have a bad reputation for being arseholes, Hermione, but in my experience their loyalty can be unmeasurable."

She pulled the cat up to her face and snuggled against her velvet fur, "Thank you," she whispered soft enough so only the two of them could hear.

The only indication that the cat understood her was the fact she butted her head against the girl's cheek and purred.

The three walked in silence for the few more minutes it took them to enter the dungeons and then amble to his chambers. Stepping through the threshold Hermione gently carried the cat to a lounge chair and placed her down gently to rest. Amortentia took a few steps across the soft furnishing and laid down gently.

"What were you doing in the castle anyway out of curiosity?" Kicking his boots off he made his way across halfway across the room. "Can I offer you a drink? Whiskey? Wine? Tea?"

"Tea will be fine thank you."

Nodding he heading to the kitchen and began to pull cups out and boil the water.

"I needed Minerva to sign some papers for me releasing the home of my parents into my name so I can sell it." She sat down beside Amortentia and casually lounged back.

Severus appeared not long after carrying to cups filled generously with tea, the steam pouring from the tops like an old steam train along the tracks he handed her the cup and sat beside her, his leg brushing her own as he sat.

"Why are you selling your childhood home?" He enquired with interest taking a sip of the hot tea from his cup.

Sighing forlornly she looked across the room trying to gather her thoughts. "It just doesn't feel right. The moment I walked in, it felt empty and the loneliness consumed me fully and wholly. I am miserable there, so I was going to move somewhere. Maybe somewhere warmer, tropical. A place away from all the bad memories. Start fresh, you know? Maybe I could have met someone, fallen in love, got married, told him I was really a witch have a few children and grow old by the beachside."

"And now?" He sipped his tea slowly, peering sideways at her, watching her face contort in deep thought.

"Well." She shifted on the seat to face him a little more. "Now that ball is in your court, Severus. I have told you how I feel, you have told me how you feel and whether you want to act on those feelings or totally disregard them is up to you. I've tried to fight for what I believe and what I want but ultimately at the end of the day, I can't force you to do something you don't want to. Just tell me what you want to do. If you want me to walk out of here I will leave, and I will be gone never to bother you again." She took a sip of tea watching him intently from behind hooded lids.

He placed the tea down upon the small table in the room with a soft clank on the polished wood, she followed suit. Turning to her so he was facing her fully he took her hands tightly in his own and his skin burned under the warm touch of her own.

"Hermione. I don't want you to go. I don't want you to turn around and walk out of here again. I was stupid to let you go the first time but I know you deserve more than me and maybe I am stupid for doing this but something in the universe aligned our stars up that night you stumbled from the portrait and I was there and it seems this was meant to be. We can stay here; we can run away to a new country for all I care and try this. I can't promise it will be easy and really can't promise it will work but I will give it a red hot crack if that is what you want."

Eyes blinked rapidly as if trying to push tears back a wide smile spread easily across her face. "I would like that very much, Severus." She tightened her grip on his hands before leaning in to steal another kiss.

 **A/N: I've been writing this chapter for a week. Type. Delete. Type. Delete. I got there in the end. One more chapter (Epilogue) and that will be a wrap!**

 **-Aliasmel1.**


	22. Epilogue

"What on earth?" Hermione whispered to herself as she plucked a Daily Prophet off of the table buried under a pile of books as she ate her toast at breakfast early one morning. The spring sun rising lazily over the ocean and radiating right into her kitchen. The smell of the ocean dancing in the breeze filled her lungs and the sound of the lazy Hawaiian waves crashed onto the pristine shore. Her quaint home set a hundred meters from the shore of the beach, tucked up all alone in a small alcove of trees.

Eyes darting to the date she realised it was three weeks old and was unsure why she hadn't read it yet. It must have gotten lost one morning whilst she was on one of her early morning cleans. Pushing the small white plate that housed her toast out of the way she laid the paper down and smoothed it out with her hands.

 _Harry Potter found dead; reason still unknown._ Screwing her nose up at the title her heart fell into her stomach. When on earth. How on earth? That couldn't be right, could it?

She skimmed through the article. Aurors were no closer to knowing how he died but foul play had been suspected. The only they knew for certain was that he had been found slumped against a wall of the dungeons of Hogwarts not long after he had arrived for a special quidditch lesson for a select few students who showed promise in the game. But there was hardly any evidence apart from a black leather glove with no DNA signature and the brutal claw marks of a small cat.

She read further down and looked to the calendar on the wall. His funeral was a week ago and she didn't even know. Thrusting the paper away from her she felt a slight emptiness within. Sure, he had been a total jerk to her but a small feeling of something washed over her. It wasn't sadness, no, she wasn't sad. Pity perhaps, for his wife and child. Yes, they were the real victims here and poor Ginny was probably beside herself with anguish and grief right now.

She had known Harry for so long it felt odd knowing he was dead. Of course, she knew everyone died eventually but to know he died so early in his life left a hollow feeling inside her. She was pulled from her revere when a small black cat came trotting down the hallway, jumping onto the table Amortentia placed her two front paws on Hermione's large stomach and butting her head against her cheek.

 _It won't be long now and we will get to meet the new human._ The cat sat on the table, her tail lazily flicking in delight as Hermione rubbed her chin.

"Indeed. Another week or two, Tia," Hermione whispered rubbing her own swollen stomach gently.

When Hermione married Severus and became an extension of him, Amortentia was able to communicate with Hermione in the same way she could communicate with Severus. However, the more Hermione talked to the cat she more she realised perhaps there was more to the picture of the innocent housecat that Tia presented herself as. She was ridiculously cunning yet endearing and Hermione almost considered the feline a friend rather than a pet.

"What this about?" Hermione gestured to the Daily Prophet on the table and the small cat padded over to it and looked at the headline. "I know you can read, Tia, so don't play games with me."

The cat stretched lazily on the table before turning to look after her shoulder at Hermione. _I've not got a clue what you are talking about.  
_  
"Three weeks ago you and Severus went back to Hogwarts together to collect the rest of his belongings before coming back here. It just seems suspicious with the timing that Harry was found dead and the article says his body was marred with deep claw marks." Eyebrows raised in question at the cat who was still maintaining her innocence in the whole ordeal.

Hermione had been married to Severus for just on a year now, but it was only recently she finally got to move somewhere tropical like she had wanted to do and distance herself from the toxic world she was once a part of. It wasn't long after that she fell pregnant to him and eventually a month or so ago Severus resigned, and they moved to Hawaii. He needed a change of scenery as much as she did.

It wasn't long after they were married, she began to realise that Tia wasn't a regular cat at all. She was wise beyond what her species should be and incredibly smart and the cunningness she possessed could surpass any of the Slytherins she had ever met in her life.

 _I've not got a clue what you are talking about. We were in and out and we certainly didn't see him. There are other cats in the castle. Minerva also has the ability to transform.  
_  
"I highly doubt Minerva is going to claw Harry Potter to death, Ti- wait, I never said he had claw marks from a cat. There are a menagerie of other animals running around the castle and grounds it could have been." She held the cat steadfast under her gaze who froze on the spot. Head slowly turning to look at Hermione.

 _I just assumed it was a cat. I mean the place is crawling with them, so the odds seem highly likely it was a cat._

Eyes narrows in suspicion just as Severus came ambling down the hall to the kitchen for breakfast.

"Severus," Hermione bit out raking her hand across the table and grasping the paper in her fingertips. "Did you read about this?!" She thrust the paper at him.

"Oh. That. I recall stumbling across that the other week, and I forgot to tell you." He almost fell over his own words in haste to get them out.

"You forgot tell me, or you didn't want to tell me?" Her reply was hollow with a tangle of anger.

"A bit of both maybe." He shrugged awkwardly eyes darting to the cat as if she was going to be his scapegoat.

"Is there something you need to tell me? It just seems weird that it was around the same time you were there AND he had been brutally attacked by a cat."

There she went. He knew she already knew something because of any sentence that started with 'It just seems weird' had already been highly analysed in her head.

"Coincidence," he offered as he grabbed the paper off her and sat down, throwing it on the counter as he did so.

"A very large one, actually. And there is something off about that cat too. She's way too intelligent to be a normal house cat. I almost feel like there is something you are hiding from me."

"I know it seems like that. And if I were you, I would assume the same thing too, but I can tell you I had nothing to do with the death of Harry Potter nor did Amortentia. There are plenty of other cats within the castle that could have decided to hold a personal grudge against Potter. Also, most cats will eat a dead person if given half the chance. You can't blame Amortentia for something just because she was in the vicinity right at the time and given the perfect chance."

"That still doesn't explain why she is smarter than the average cat, Severus."

God sake she was like a dog with a bone and she wasn't going to give it up.

"Amortentia isn't a normal cat. She's part Kneazle I have found out on recently which lends to her intelligence, independence, ability to detect suspicious people and her aggressiveness that we have seen when she unleashed on Potter. Unfortunately, I cannot answer your question as to who killed Potter and I am sorry I forgot to mention it."

Hermione narrowed her eyes with suspicion before rising from the table. "I'm going for a swim and to clear my head. Remind me to send Ginny a card later; she must think I am ghastly for not sending my condolences." Slowly she stood, using the table to help prop herself up from the extra weight and burden her stomach added to her.

"Condolences? I'd be sending her a congratulations card honestly."

"You are a terrible Person Severus, but I love you." She leant down and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek before walking out of the door.

Tia sauntered across the table to where Severus was and sat before him. Tilting her head sideways as Severus fished around in the pocket of his pants pulling out a single black leather glove and placed it at the cat's feet.

"You know what to do. And remember, it's our secret we take to the grave, cat."

Tia bowed her head in agreeance before leaning down and picking the glove up in her mouth, she ran as fast as she could out of the house and down to the beach hiding the glove deep within the pristine sands hidden from anyone who may come snooping around.

Did he feel any remorse? No. As far as he saw it he was doing a service to the public before Potter had prayed on the next person, or worse, came seeking out Hermione again. No. Nobody was taking her away from him. It was finally his turn to have his happily ever after.

-The End.

 **A/N: I almost made Tia a Maledictus. I had written it into the chapter but when it came to working out exactly who she was, I drew a blank so changed the whole story.**

 **There you go. Everyone who hated Harry got closure and everyone who wanted the two of them to live happily ever after got their wish! Thank you for hanging around until the end. I have plenty of other stories to amuse yourselves with. Each one unique and different from the other.**

 **-Aliasmel1**


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